Kingdom Hearts 3: Whispers of Darkness
by CommanderFlynn
Summary: It has been a few months since Sora and Riku attempted the Mark of Mastery exam but time was never on their side. Xehanort was setting his plans into motion. Along with Kairi, newly trained in her Keyblade, the three must journey once more to stop Xehanort. But the whispers of the past cannot remain undisturbed forever. T for now but may go to M. OC's featured
1. Prologue

The Keyblade War

A war of death, darkness, greed and corruption.

When it comes down to it, one could understand the reason for the war for being so deadly. The X-blade, the keyblade that could control the unfathomable power of Kingdom hearts, people wanted that power of themselves, to use it for their own agenda. Instead all it did was crack the worlds apart from each other and the blade shattered in to twenty pieces, seven of pure light and thirteen of pure darkness, and the "true" Kingdom Hearts vanished. Only to become myth and legend for future Keyblade warriors to learn from past mistakes

Xehanort, once a respected warrior had stumbled upon this war and the reason for it and vowed to recreate the power of Kingdom Hearts and to that end, planned for a second war to break out.

With Riku now a Keyblade Master and Sora fully trained along with their friend Kairi who was now a Keyblade Warrior; the three of them must go on one final journey to end Xehanort's plan once and for all.

But the whispers of the past never remain still for long, and soon it would take the will of every being of light to stop the oncoming tide of darkness from destroying everything everyone had strived to achieve on each world.

With enemies both old and new lurking around each corner, allies are also to be found, both old and new. Sora will need each and every single one of them if he is to have a glimmer of hope of stopping Xehanort.

The final battle is almost at hand, but who will be on which side?

Can light and darkness truly be two separate things or are the two now blurred into a grey area?


	2. Chapter 1: A New Day is Dawning

Chapter 1: A New Day is Dawning

_The familiar glass platform that he had grown accustomed to seeing during his period of wielding the keyblade loomed below him. The dark-blue glass burned into his eyes as he fell towards it. His body flipped forward on its own accord; his bare feet touching the cold surface and sending a shiver up his spine. He saw himself with his Keyblade, the Kingdom Key in hand. Four circular portraits of his friends were next to his head: Riku, Kairi, Donald and Goofy. Smaller portraits of all the people he had met during his time of being a Keyblade wielder all had a smaller portrait that made up the border around the edge of the station. People such as King Mickey, Tarzan, Captain Jack Sparrow and a whole host more. The station was a worrisome sign; the last time he had been here, he had fought his Nobody, Roxas_

_Why was he here now? The better question should be how? It had only been a few months since his close call with Xehanort in the realm of sleep during his Mark of Mastery Exam, in which Xehanort had intended to use Sora as a thirteenth vessel in order to create the fabled X-blade he ranted on about. (Riku had filled him in on the events that happened during the time he was in a comatose like state.) Master Yen Sid had assured him that he would not be diving back into the realm of sleep for the foreseeable future. Did his heart call out to him again and send him here? _

_A shiver shot up his spine when a dark presence made itself known behind him. Years of practise automatically moved his body; his Keyblade materialising in his hand during mid-turn, his cerulean eyes falling upon the intruding figure._

_The figure stood on the other edge of the platform and looked to be the same height as him. The figure bore a dark black/purple muscle suit and a dark navy skirt around it's waist with a few belts moving across the lower torso, one around the waist and a pair in an X shape around the pelvis. The torso had red outlines all over it, almost looking like veins. His arms faded from black into red wrists where it covered the back of the hand before fading to black again. He wore a full face helmet, and no matter how much he tried to see the figures face, he only saw a darker reflection of himself. _

"_Who are you?" Sora enquired sharply, slipping into his battle stance that was as second nature to him as breathing was to anyone. "Why are you here in my heart?" Now that he had asked the question and took a moment to look at the figure, he felt like he had seen it before. He couldn't place where, but the sense of déjà vu bugged him in the back of his mind._

The figure seemed to look at Sora and let out a dark chuckle, then started to move towards him. His arms were extended as if wanting to embrace the brunette. "The time is almost here," he stopped a few inches away from him and let an arm drop, extending his other arm and holding out his hand. "The time for my darkness to break free from this prison and to take a hold of your heart," the figure clenched the open hand into a tight fist, the clothing letting out a tiny squelch. 

_Sora looked at the figure with a confused look. "What are you talking about?" Was this figure referring to the plot Xehanort had hatched months prior? Was the figure a Nightmare that Riku hadn't purged when he was liberated from his dreams? _

_The figure's hand dropped and let out a blood-churning laugh. "You're still as dense as ever." The figure started to walk away from Sora to the platform's edge, stopped, and then turned around to face him. Sora had the odd feeling that behind the dark visor, a face was smiling. "No one can truly be rid of the darkness, it is always there as long as light exists…and you are full of it." Without any advanced warning, the figure extended his arms like an eagle spread its wings and fell backwards._

"_Wait!" Sora shouted and sprinted to the edge, stopping when his toes hit nothing but air and looked down into the dark void below. He saw no sign of the figure and his Keyblade faded from his grip _

**VVVV**

Sora grumbled and slowly turned over on his covers, forcing his mind to awaken from slumber. He was confused and he wanted answers to the many questions running around his head. Why and who was that figure on the platform inside his heart? HOW did he get to the platform against his will? What was the figure talking about?

His hair, which was normally spiky anyway, had even more awkward angles when he sat up, thanks to the pillow. His cerulean eyes scanned the room around him, confirming that he was indeed, back in reality.

Riku slept soundly underneath the large, moon shaped window that was slightly open, letting a cool, gentle breeze into the room; his silver hair swayed slightly with it. Three other beds were unoccupied and neatly tidied, one for Donald, Goofy and Mickey, but they all had to return to the castle to attend royal business. A bundle of suitcases were thrown into one side of the room, the boys being too lazy to unpack everything. Next to the suitcases was a basket full of dirty laundry, which a magical broom quiet took from the room.

Sora ignored the magical item and soundlessly crept out of his bed. He ignored the clothes that littered the floor, preferring to stay in his simple white top and red shorts that he had worn to bed and slipped on his yellow trainers. He yawned and glanced at the clock that hung beside the doorway. It was only half past floor. He groaned and crept out of the room. _This is too early to be up, even by my standards_ he thought wearily to himself.

The extra rooms were a simple addition that Yen Sid had quickly magicked up to occupy his guests. Much like the rest of the tower, the staircase twisted downwards with brown, wooden boards and deep yellow walls. Occasionally the wall broke away for windows shaped like the moon and stars. Sora was still surprised that he was able to conjure this up from thin air but then again, Yen Sid was a master sorcerer.

He made his way down the stairs, being careful not to step on the loud creaky floorboard and walked into the bathroom. He flicked the light on and waited for them to come into existence, lighting up the room. The glaringly white tiles burned into his eyes, forcing him to cover his eyes for a moment before walking inside and standing in-front of one of the sinks and a mirror. He turned the tap onto the cold setting and let the water swirl around in the marble white unit before bending down and splashing it across his face. The water burned his skin but at the same time, refreshing. He glanced up at the mirror and his heart skipped a beat when he saw bright, yellow eyes instead of his usual blue. A quick double take averted his fears but he noticed the faint bags hanging underneath his eyes.

He never had any issues with sleep since he had always been a heavy sleeper (he slept through most of the first attack on the island a few years ago) but ever since the Mark of Mastery, he was having issues with sleeping. Yen Sid said it was nothing but now after the event on his platform, he wasn't so sure. He turned off the water and the light then left the bathroom. He was going to ask him about it the first chance he got. He yawned again and stretched. Now that he was awake, he may as well get changed and have an early breakfast.

**Meanwhile – in Disney Castle**

A single candlelight flickered slightly as a tiny anthromorphic mouse let out a heavy sigh. King Mickey wearily turned over a page of the large leather-bound book he had been reading late into the night for the past week. The dark circles hung around his eyes showed this, replacing his usually bright and white eyes. He was relieved that he was able to stop Xehanort before they used Sora for his own selfish goal; Lea being a big part of that. But it had concerned him deeply that Xehanort had that kind of foresight to plan something so elaborate. He had hoped that the old journals he had recorded during his apprenticeship with Yen Sid would reveal something that they had previously missed, and so his quest into his old journals began. His face was stained with dried tear trails from the many memories that had resurfaced since reading them. Remembering how full of life young Ventus was, how loving Master Aqua would be to the many people she had met and how determined Terra was to protect his friends. He now regretted that he couldn't do more to protect them all. He didn't want their sacrifices to be in vain, and so he read on in the hope that an advantage could be found while the oncoming storm was delayed for the moment.

A sharp knock at the door snapped him out of his thoughts. He sat up straight and attempted to straighten out his clothes and look like a king, not someone who was ravaged by nightmares and concerns. "Come in," Mickey croaked, his throat dry and hoarse. He hadn't noticed he hadn't been drinking his fluids.

Minnie Mouse walked into the room. Her long-flowing pink dress followed in her wake and was nearly shut in the door. She smiled sweetly and placed her hands on the wooden desk and looked at her husband with a look of concern. "Are you alright Mickey?"

He nodded and closed the large book and jumped down from his chair. He walked up to the female mouse and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Yeah, just doin' some research-," He held her hand in his own and walked towards the door. He held it open for her. "Why are you up so early?"

Minnie held out a small scroll for him. "Master Yen Sid sent out a message an hour ago. He said that he needed to speak with you." Minnie spoke quiet as they excited the castle and into the gardens, not wanting to wake up anyone or for anyone to overhear. The moon shone lightly on the garden, giving everything an eerie, but warm glow to everything. Minnie seemed to glow like an angle to the king.

"I see…then I best get then Gummi prepared." Mickey managed to stifle a loud yawn, but still felt the heat rise in his cheeks in embarrassment.

Minnie smiled. "I have already taken care of that for you. Chip and Dale are outfitting the Gummi as we speak. Donald and Goofy will also be escorting you on the trip as well.

Mickey scratched the back of his head, shooting the queen a sheepish grin. "Gosh…what would I do without you?" He stepped forward and hugged his wife tightly. "I promise I'll be safe."

Minnie returned the gesture and nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Come back soon Mickey." She reluctantly loosened her grip on her husband and took a step back, remaining silent as the King moved quickly towards the Gummi Hanger. With a tired sigh she turned to the left and made her way down to the Guards Barracks. She wanted to make sure that her temporary Knight-Commander was up for the task.

**VVVV**

When Minnie opened the door to the barracks, she smiled as she watched Goofy attempting to act professional while explaining to a young woman what her duties would be while he was away. She silently closed the door and waited patiently for the goof to finish. She stood next to a set of racks which held a number of weapons, each of them containing the King's emblem somewhere on its blade or handle. Mannequins dotted the wall to one side, holding a number of armour and shields – each mannequin belonging to a single guard, their name etched on a nameplate above it. Tidy beds hugged the wall opposite the queen and this was where the young woman was sitting on. A portrait of the king hung over the beds.

"Now remember. In the mornin' ya gotta patrol the par-ei-meter to make sure no one is tryin' to sneak in-," Goofy lectured the woman. The goof was wearing his standard knight uniform, his left arm encased in a large metal armguard. "And then ya help the queen with her duties and requests during the day."

"I think you mean perimeter Goofy." The woman chimed in, raising a single black covered finger. She wore a white sleeveless dress with two red lines doing down the edge of her torso on either side. A steel breastplate protected her upper torso. Her arms were covered by black gloves that went up to her shoulders and left it bare. She wore a red skirt and a pair of white socks went up to her knees, a pair of midnight black boots covering her feet. A steel gauntlet was on the back of each of her hands and went up to the edge of her wrists. A pair of longswords hung at her hips on either side. Her bright hazel eyes looked at the goof with humour. Her midnight black hair flowed down to the small of her back.

"Thank ya kindly Karin." Goofy smiled and bowed at the female knight. "Take care of Max for me, I'll be back soon." Goofy waved his goodbye at Karin, almost walking into Minnie who coughed loudly to get the goof's attention. "Gwarsh, sorry your highness," Goofy bowed at the queen, his face turning a light shade of red.

Minnie smiled. "It's quite alright Goofy. Shouldn't you be at the hanger with the King? He'll be leaving soon."

Goofy stiffened when he realised he was running late and put up a quick salute, his face burning redder. "Sorry ma'am, I better get going!" He opened the door and walked through it. Through the wood Minnie could hear Goofy going 'A-yuck' before running out of earshot.

Karin stood up, letting out a quiet sigh and saluted when she regarded the queen. "He may be clumsy, but he sure runs a tight ship." She half-heartedly smiled and bowed her head. "With respect your highness, isn't it a bit early for you to be up and about?"

Minnie smiled and stifled a yawn, but nodded. "It is a bit, but needs must when you have a husband running around and saving the world. But please, call me Minnie. You've known us long enough to be allowed that right." She added on. Secretly, Minnie envied the woman's strength since they have found her drifting on the lanes between near the world. If it weren't for a citizen stargazing in Disney town, who knows what would have happened to her. She had heard terrible stories of those being exposed to the darkness the lanes between harboured.

Karin kneeled down in-front of the mouse, smiling gently. "I know, but you have saved my life. I owe you everything and that is something I can never repay." She giggled a little. "Besides, it'd feel wrong calling someone of such high stature by name. You can blame my parents for engraving that sort of thing into my mind."

Minnie smiled and giggled with the woman. "I understand. But you've been with us for a good year now Karin and in that short time, you've done so much for Mickey and myself when Mickey helped Sora with his exam-," Minnie paused for a moment, the fear she had felt when Mickey ran off to The World That Never Was made her heart throb with a faint pain. She never wanted something like that to happen again. "We owe it to you for such dedication. I'm sure Mickey will enquire with Yen Sid about your brother."

Karin regarded the queen and sighed before sitting on the edge of the bed. "It has been so long Minnie…four years since our world was destroyed and we haven't heard so much as a whisper from him." Her hand moved over the pendant that hung loose over her breastplate. "I'll go crazy if I keep worrying about him like this, I should just move o-"

"You mustn't give up hope!" Minnie's voice suddenly took on a stern voice, interrupting her. "Remember what the King told you when you first came to us. Even in the deepest darkness, there is a small glimmer of light." Her gloved hand wrapped around Karin's, wrapping it around the pendant. "It'll always be there to guide you, no matter how small it may become."

Karin looked at the small mouse with a sense of wonder, but then a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "I…thank you Minnie." She stood up from the bed. "I'll ask the King for permission to leave when he returns." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at the queen. "I better get started on today's jobs."

Minnie smiled and nodded. "I'll accompany you around the castle. I could do with a walk to wake up a bit more before the day starts."

Karin smiled and held the door open for her and waited till the mouse had walked outside. She regarded her pendant one last time before tucking it underneath her top. _Someday…I'll find you. _

**VVVV**

Yen Sid sat behind his large oak table, his eyes closed while his aged fingers stroked his long, grey beard in deep thought. He hummed to himself sometimes as well, as if talking to himself.

Sora along with Riku and Kairi were standing in the room on the opposite side of the desk that Yen Sid occupied. The room was small and mostly bare apart from the handful of book shelves and the door leading back to the staircase.

Sora was wearing his normal attire: He wore his blue sleeveless top with red pockets underneath a midnight black jacket. Two metal pauldrons were strapped down on his soldiers with yellow belts. White lines outlined the edges of the jacket's sleeves, zippers and the pockets. He wore Navy blue shorts underneath black chaps that were cut around the pelvis so one could see the shorts; the chaps had silver trims on them. Yellow belts wrapped around his waist in an X pattern and just above his knees which were hooked up to two large, red pouches that hung on the outside of each leg. His cerulean eyes focused on Yen Sid with a fierce intensity.

Riku stood next to his friend. He was wearing his black sleeveless vest with a silver zip along the middle. A cream coloured, also sleeveless body warmer went over the vest, a blue line going around the bottom of it and under that a thinner yellow line. He wore a simple pair of dark blue jeans, the pockets highlighted in a lighter blue. His white trainers tap impatiently on the floorboards. His deep blue eyes also looking at Yen Sid with Interest.

Kairi stood to the other side of Sora, her dark red hair swaying from the wind that breeze through the moon shaped window behind her. She wore a short pink dress with three zippers along the main body. The front most zip was partially undone to reveal a white halter tip which was attached to a black hood on the back of her head. A black belt wrapped around her waist, holding up a notepad sized pouch to the side. Her lilac and white trainers shuffled nervously on the spot as she did.

The old, wise sorcerer slowly opened his eyes as he came back from his trail of thought. His black eyes regarded Sora with a cold stare. "Are you sure that it was your heart's platform that this event occurred on?"

Sora nodded. "I'm positive. I would know my own heart when I see it."

Riku crossed his arms and glanced over to his friend. "The way you described it, it was definitely similar to what it looked like when I dived into your heart. But I only encountered four people, five if you count the nightmare I fought, but none of them match the description of the figure you gave."

Yen Sid held a hand up to his beard, stroking it again. "It could be residue from the realm of sleep that has just started to emerge; but that possibility is slim considering that it was months ago. He closed his eyes in thought. "Riku also explained that Xehanort himself admitted that his foresight could only reach so far with the ability to time travel and the rules that govern it. He would be unable to explain to a past self that the initial plan failed and thus, be stuck in a loop." He regarded the three wielders. "For Kairi's benefit I will explain. To travel through time you must leave behind your body to do so. You must also have a version of yourself awaiting you at your destination. After you have arrived, you may only move forward through time."

Riku nodded. "Right, but something feels off…" He crossed his arms. "When I was fighting against a version of Xehanort, I had the upper hand. Then all of a sudden, a cloak appeared and it counted down. I think he stopped time, rewound it, and the next thing I knew, I was fighting him as if we had just begun." He glanced at Yen Sid. "I get the feeling that Xehanort is able to ignore the rules that govern time travel, at least to an extent."

Yen Sid smiled, "A wise observation Master Riku. We would be foolish to assume that Xehanort was ruled by the same laws as everyone else. With the foresight he processes, he may already have another plan in motion to obtain the X-blade."

"But Master Yen Sid-," Kairi stepped forward, bowing at her tutor. Since Riku had brought her to his tower, she had slowly been learning the art of wielding a Keyblade. "Surely even Xehanort's darkness could not penetrate your tower? With so much light at the heart of it, it wouldn't serve him any purpose."

Yen Sid nodded. "You are correct my dear. While he is powerful, the combined light from your bond is strong enough to keep any dark influence out. It would only serve as a distraction if he were to try and sever that bond. The question then, is who is the figure and why has he appeared in Sora's heart?"

The four of them started to rack their brains. If one were to drop a pin, the noise would echo throughout the room. Riku and Sora both had their arms crossed in deep thought. Kairi stared out at the window absentmindedly, leaning on the edge while Yen Sid stroked his bear in the usual fashion.

A loud warping sound brought the group's brain storming session to a halt. Kairi glanced up out of the window and saw the dark blue/black hole appear in the backdrop of the orange sky, a small red vessel shooting out from it. "It's a Gummi Ship!" Kairi pointed out.

Yen Sid snapped out of his own thoughts. "Ah! I asked for our young King to come over once Sora explained his dream to me. I'm surprised he was able to get over here on such short notice."

Sora raised his brow in confusion. "Why did you ask for Mickey to come over?"

Yen Sid smiled. "It may not be known to you three. But Mickey and I both have a History with Xehanort. I feel that it is time for our young king to explain to you what occurred during his time as my apprentice."


	3. Chapter 2: Journey Beginning

**Previously on Kingdom Hearts 3: Whispers of Darkness**

A loud warping sound brought the group's brain storming session to a halt. Kairi glanced up out of the window and saw the dark blue/black hole appear in the backdrop of the orange sky, a small red vessel shooting out from it. "It's a Gummi Ship!" Kairi pointed out.

Yen Sid snapped out of his own thoughts. "Ah! I asked for our young King to come over once Sora explained his dream to me. I'm surprised he was able to get over here on such short notice."

Sora raised his brow in confusion. "Why did you ask for Mickey to come over?"

Yen Sid smiled. "It may not be known to you three. But Mickey and I both have a History with Xehanort. I feel that it is time for our young king to explain to you what occurred during his time as my apprentice."

**Chapter 2: Journey Beginning**

The Gummi ship propelled itself out of the warp tunnel that the block made and circled around the highest point of Yen Sid's tower. The ship was small in design, serving more for quickly trips rather than lengthy expeditions. A red pyramid with a yellow line around the base of it served as the ships nose which was connected to the main body, which was also red. The main bridge sat on top of the main body. Two small engines powered the Gummi, the flames burning brightly until it came to a complete stop above a patch of land. A pair of laser cannons moved to the side as three small wheels appeared from the underbelly.

Inside the Gummi ship, Mickey, Donald and Goofy were sitting inside the cramped space of the bridge. Mickey took the helm in the captain's seat, piloting the Gummi with expert skill while Donald and Goofy sat to the side in their own stations. Above them all, their belongings and supplies were stowed away in a handful of small cupboards. Behind Mickey was a small door which would lead to the landing ramp which would lower when they touched down.

"Puttin' the Landin' gear down now, Your Majesty." Goofy carefully started to push a few of the buttons on his dashboard.

Mickey nodded and held down a large red button while pulling forward on the control stick. The ship obeyed its master's command as its powerful landing engines flared into existence, causing the grass to sway under the powerful gusts of wind that the engines emitted. The ship shuddered as it came into contact with the ground. Mickey switched off the engines and made his way over to doorway. "C'mon guys. Let's go find out what Master Yen Sid wants." He opened the door and went through it, Donald and Goofy on his heels

**VVVV**

After Mickey and the others exchanged their greetings with Sora, Riku and Kairi, Mickey stood next to Kairi and stood at attention as Yen Sid sat down in his chair with a warm smile at the young king.

"I am grateful that you could make it here on such short notice Mickey, but I'm afraid time is no longer on our side." Yen Sid glanced over to Sora and extended out a hand to him, "Please, describe the figure that you saw to mickey." His hand waved over to Mickey.

Sora thought for a moment and then nodded to himself before crossing his arms. His eyes glanced up at the ceiling. "Well…he was about my height and wore this dark black and violet coloured suit." His gaze went over to Riku. "Now that I think about it, the outfit was similar to what you had on when Ansem processed you Riku, except that this outfit was darker and his face was covered by a helmet. " Sora motioned with his hand over his face and brought it up and down. "Do you know anything Mickey?"

Mickey frowned and closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them in alarm. "It can't be," he muttered, glancing over to the brunette and then over to Yen Sid. "Master Aqua and Ventus had destroyed him when she shattered the X-blade in her last fight."

Sora looked over to the mouse with a puzzled look. "Him? Who is him?"

Mickey sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Gwarsh…it's been so long-," he looked over to Sora with a worried glance, "but if Vanitas has truly returned, it can only lead to trouble."

Riku crossed his arms; his brow frowned lightly as he took in and process in the new information. "Vanitas? Didn't you say he was Xehanorts Apprentice, Yen Sid?"

Yen Sid nodded slowly and reached underneath his desk and opened up a drawer. He retrieved a small leather bound book and placed it on the desk in-front of him and opened up the pages. "Indeed he was. Vanitas was a being of pure darkness, created from the heart of a young Keyblade wielder by the name Ventus-,"

Sora felt something tug at his heart upon the mtnion of Ventus. It was like a name that he should remember, but his mind just couldn't place the name to a face or anything.

"-Xehanort intended to create the X-blade and in turn, grant him the power over Kingdom Hearts. He theorised that when a being of pure darkness and a being of pure light clash, the two would fuse together and the X-blade would be forged. It was with that sole goal in mind that he created Vanitas from Ventus. The plan ultimately failed when the fusion became unstable and Master Aqua destroyed the forgery." Yen Sid spoke while flicking through the pages of the book. Riku thought it was a journal of some kind.

"Yeah, it was really scary at the time and what's worse is what happened to Terra." Mickey lamented and glanced over to Yen Sid. "I still can't believe that after all this time, Xehanort is still using that trick."

Kairi glanced at the young king, "Trick?"

Mickey nodded. "Back then, in order to continue living, he would…take his heart out from his body and forcibly put it in a vessel that was seething with darkness."

Kairi shuddered at the thought of that but looked at her tutor with a hard gaze. "Wasn't Sora about to be subject to that as well during his Mark of Mastery exam?" She had remembered reading the journals that Sora and Riku had comprised after they had returned about the Mark exam, but some of the things she had read frightened her.

"Yes and no." Yen Sid nodded and smiled. "While it's true that Xehanort used a forbidden, dark magic to extend his life he had changed it to fit his master goal of obtaining the X-blade. He was fragmenting his heart into thirteen pieces and was putting them into vessels and Sora here, was meant to be his thirteenth. If he were not stopped then we would have lost a valuable asset in the coming battles and Xehanort would have been able to continue his plan."

Sora shuffled on the spot uneasily. He was hardly the strongest wielder there, evidenced that Riku had been given the Mark of Mastery. Worse, he had succumbed to the darkness inside of his heart. He was hardly going to play a big part in the future.

Yen Sid held up a hand. "However, we are moving away from the topic."

Sora nodded. "I agree. I have one question: if this Vanitas was destroyed and, assuming that this is the same person in my heart, WHY is he there?" It was something that had been bugging him for a while.

Yen Sid let out a quiet 'Hmmm' and stroked his beard again. "From what Mickey and I could gather, Ventus's heart was damaged after Vanitas was created, and Ventus's heart called out for help." He pointed a single finger at Sora. "You answered that called and mended it. It is possible that after the events that occurred, Ventus's comatose state was attributed by the fact that his heart is resting within yours, recovering until Master Aqua could recover it; a plan which sadly never came to fruition." He raised his other hand open and the palm facing the ceiling, "However, it could be that the fusion of the X-blade placed a part of Vanitas inside of Ventus's heart and your recent contact with darkness and Xehanort, revived him."

Kairi looked horrified at the idea. "It's all just theory right? Sora is a Keyblade Wielder; surely that means a being of pure darkness cannot get into his heart?"

Yen Sid smiled. "It's important to remember that Keyblades are not weapons of the light, nor of the dark. They are neutral in their alliance to their wielder. After all, they pick their wielders. As to your question, all the evidence points to the fact that either a remnant of Vanitas or Vanitas himself, resides within his heart. For all we know, this is another one of Xehanort's plans. That man has a tactical prowess and foresight that I have never seen before."

Riku stepped forward and placed his hands on the table. "Then let me dive into his heart again. I did it before against the Nightmare that gripped Sora and I can do it again." He looked at Yen Sid with fiery, determined eyes. He wouldn't let fear compromise his resolve when his friend was in danger.

Yen Sid smiled. "While I appreciate the offer to put yourself into harm's way once more, Vanitas is much more powerful than a simple Nightmare that invaded Sora." His gaze switched to Sora, his eyes hard with seriousness. "I'm afraid that only you can expel him from your heart. You must resist the whispers of darkness he sens your way or risk losing possession of your own body."

Sora nodded, "Got it."

Mickey crossed his arms; his eyes frowned in thought. "I'm worried though Master. Sora was so easily overcome by the darkness while he was in the realm of sleep. What would we do if something happens to him now?"

Yen Sid shook his head. "We could do nothing," Yen Sid admitted solemnly. "Which is why I am entrusting a task to you three," He pointed towards Riku, Kairi and Sora. "It has come to my attention that the sleeping keyholes you two unlocked during the Mark of Mastery exam have resotred the worlds from the realm of sleep, breaking them free from their dream state. However their Keyholes of light that you may remember closing on your first journey are unlocked. Sora this will be your second chance to show the Mark of Mastery and be acknowledged as a Keyblade Master, and Kairi, this will be a test of your abilities."

Sora grinned and pumped his fist. "I won't let you down this time Master Yen Sid."

Riku simply nodded and uncrossed his arms from his chest.

Kairi looked at Yen Sid with unsure eyes. She had only been training for a couple of months and her ability with her Keyblade was average at best. "I'll…I'll do my best." She assured herself and nodded with determination at her master. Her violet eyes burned with a resolve she hadn't felt since she had first held her Keyblade back in The World That Never Was.

"Know this, although the worlds have been restored, the citizens of those worlds may not remember you. To them, you were merely a part of their dream while their world slumbered. You may find that you'll come across the allies and friends you made during your previous journeys, but so will the villains that the Nightmares created. Be vigilant and return safely." Yen Sid looked over to Mickey and smiled. "If you wouldn't mind, could you take them to Disney Castle so they can retrieve a Gummi Ship for their journey."

Mickey smiled and nodded. "They can take our one. They can head to the castle and wait for Chip and Dale to build a bigger one and then send the smaller one back to us. I have some questions for ya anyway."

Yen Sid nodded with appreciation. "Thank you. Go with haste, Keyblade wielders of the light, for I fear Xehanort has put his plan into motion."

**VVVV**

Elsewhere, the darkened sky pressed down on a large, silver castle that hovered over a large crater. The bottom most parts of the castle rotating around and around, keeping the large structure afloat over the crater. The large castle dwarfed the dark city that the castle shared on the world. A city that was encased by darkness and never slept as Heartless and Nobodies alike stalked the city, preying on those unfortunate enough to find themselves stranded on the deadly world.

A lone figure was running through the dim streets as fast as they could. His midnight black duster coat flowed behind him as he ran; a number of dark shadows hot on his heels, pursing their prey while melding in with the shadows. The figure jumped ontop of a crate, and then onto a second stack before throwing himself at the nearby window. His leather covered hand gripping the edge of the window ledge and with a grunt, pulled hoisted himself up.

He stood precariously on the edge then quickly shuffled along the thing ledge. He saw his destination, a flat roof that was slightly lower than him, but on the other side of the street. With his pursuers gaining ground, he was left with little choice but to jump. He flung himself from the ledge, barely clearing the gap, his right foot slipping from the edge, threatening to send him into the awaiting dark mass below. He shifted his weight forward and tumbled forwards, rolling with the impact to minimise any damage to himself. He twisted awkwardly due to a rifle handing on his back and for a moment, remained motionless on the floor.

The sounds of more Heartless emerging drew his attention and he lifted his head up. A few more shadows had materialised around him. With an annoyed grunt he knelt onto one knee and then pushed himself up, during mid-rise his hands dipped into his coat and he pulled out a pair of black handguns, aiming them at the heartless around him. His bright green eyes regarded his enemy with a mixture of anger and frustration, and sighed. "You just never give up don't you?"

**VVVV**

Kairi glanced at her suitcase, the small item bulging slightly from packing too many items for the trip. Yen Sid had generously conjured up the small, extra room for her so she could have some privacy away from the boys, not that she minded sleeping in the same room. She smiled fondly as her memory reminded her about the times that they had sleepovers when they were kids. They would stay up late into the night, talking about random topics or seeing who could tell the scariest ghost stories. Now that they had grown up, such fun times couldn't happen again. Hormones could get out of control and such, not that they would try anything funny. If she trusted anyone, it was Riku and Sora.

Upon the thought of the particular brunette, she signed and leaned on the overflowing suitcase. She could remember when the King had picked up Sora and Riku. Back then, she wasn't informed that they were taking a Mark of Mastery exam but since learning about their adventures she had guessed that it was important. Still, she was mortified to hear that Xehanort had hijacked the test from the beginning (even if she didn't truly understand everything) and was surprised to hear that Yen Sid wanted to train her in the art of wielding the Keyblade. Her heart thudded in her chest when she thought about the request. She was nowhere near the material for a Keyblade Warrior. Twice, she had been captured by the darkness and even when she had been given her own Keyblade from Riku, she was on the sidelines. She watched Sora struggle against each member of the Organisation, her heart ached with the familiar pain she had felt back then.

She wouldn't be a burden any longer. She extended her arm, her Keyblade flashed into her grasp. The handle was wrapped in black leather; the guard around the handle was shaped in a heart. The exception to this was the left most side of the guard which curved in on itself like a wave, coloured a deep sea blue. The shaft of the blade was a deep yellow and the further up you went, the colours eventually changed into orange and then a deep red. A single, golden vine wrapped around the shaft. The Keyblade's teeth were decorated with an assortment of colourful flowers and leaves. "This time, I'll do my best for you…" A knock at her door broke her from her thoughts and the Keyblade faded from her grip. "C-Come in."

The door opened up and the first thing she saw was the spiky, brown hair that accompanied a certain boy's head. Sora smiled warmly when his Cerulean eyes connected her violet ones. He walked inside and closed the door behind him, leaning against the wall next to the door. "You all packed?"

Kairi nodded silently, keeping her head down to hide her flushed cheeks. She suddenly found that her voice had lodged itself in her throat. She realised that the boy she had just been thinking about was in the same room, and alone with her. _Stupid Hormones. _She forced herself to block out those thoughts and smiled, "Y-Yeah, just sorting out the last few things."

Sora nodded and then moved to take a seat on the edge of her bed, watching her wrestle with her suitcase with some amusement. "Kairi…are you sure you want to go on this journey?" He looked at her with hard eyes, his goofy exterior shedding to one of seriousness.

Kairi returned the hard gaze with one of her own. Did he doubt her ability? He had been helping her with her training. "I'm sure Sora. You won't talk me out of this, I want to go." She sat ontop of her suitcase in a bid to close it shut. "I'm aware that it'll be dangerous," she jumped up and down on the case again. "But if I don't go, then when the war comes, what'll happen then?" She jumped ontop of the case once more and it shut enough for her to zip it up. With a satisfied sigh she regarded the brunette once more. "I want to help Sora. I want to Journey with you. Besides," She smiled warmly. "You can't keep everything on your shoulders."

Sora glanced at the redhead with a worried glanced, but smiled himself when he saw her gentle and pretty smile. He shook his head and chuckled a little. "I forgot how stubborn you are Kairi." His smile faded a little as they looked glances. "Just promise me you won't be as stubborn during the journey."

Kairi giggled and placed her hand ontop of Sora's. "I won't promise anything, but I won't get in the way." She held up a finger as Sora was about to speak. "That does not mean I will not play the damsel in distress role. I intended to use my training to the fullest."

**VVVV**

Outside of Yen Sid's tower, Sora, Kairi and Riku stood beside the Gummi Ship. Yen Sid, Mickey, Goofy and Donald were waiting nearby by the large, brown, oak doors that led to the tower. Sora glanced up to the tower once more and had forgotten how small the tower was compared to the inside which was much bigger.

"Now remember, relock the keyholes, avoid the darkness and hone your skills. I will contact you with any additional information I get through the Gummi's communication device once Mickey teaches me how to use it." Yen Sid seemed to grumble and roll his eyes at the notion he had to be taught how to use technology over magic.

"Yes Sir! We won't let you down." Sora saluted with a large grin plastered over his face. Riku groaned and shook his head. Kairi glanced at the brunette and giggled then picked up her bag and turned to walk up the ramp.

_This will be my first journey to prove to myself that I can do this,_ the redhead thought as she walked up it, rolling the bag behind her. She took a seat on the left chair and placed her bag next to it. Riku trailed behind her, taking the seat opposite her while Sorra took to the captain's chair. He interlocked his fingers and stretched them out like he was about to play the piano. "Now then, let's see if I can remember how to do this…"

"Wait…you don't remember how to fly?!" Riku and Kairi said in sync.

Mickey watched as Gummi Ship (clumsily) took off, buckling unevenly like a see-saw before righting itself and propelled itself from the view. His heart throbbed with a sense of dark foreboding, like this was the last time any of them would remain unscarred from the future events that would play out. "Anyway Master, let me show you how to use the communication system-," He turned to the wise wizard with a warm smile, "It's very simple to use."

**VVVV**

A number of bullet casings littered the floor around the green-eyed figure as he breathed heavily on the spot. Sweat, mixed in with a cut on his forehead dripped from the tip of his nose. He stood on the spot, scanning his surrounding in-case any heartless had any sense to lie in wait to ambush him.

The next few seconds stretched out for what felt like minutes. The world had a funny way of changing your perception of town where death was waiting around every corner. He forced himself to stand normally to get his bearings. He was probably on one of the taller buildings. The large skyscraper loomed up in the distance, but apart from that simple landmark, everything looked the same.

He glanced down at his weapons and frowned when he realised that both were empty. He dipped into his pocket and pulled out a pair of fresh ones then slapped them into each pistol, noting that they were his last bullets. He sighed and placed both weapons into his holsters and dusted off his shoulder. His gaze moved upwards to the midnight sky, not a single star lit the dark canvas. "Why am I even here?"

A footstep behind him caused him to immediately turn around on the spot and pull out one of his pistols, gripping it in both his hands as his eyes honed in on the robed figure. "What do you want?"


	4. Chapter 3: Journey Preperation

**So here we go again with another Chapter. I'd like to thank the people who liked, favourited and the few that reviewed...apart from that one person who tears me apart...it hurts! (love you really)  
****Without further Ado - Chapter 3 is ago!**

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**Previously on Kingdom Hearts 3: Whispers of Darkness**

"Which is why I am entrusting a task to you three." He pointed towards Riku, Kairi and Sora. "It has come to my attention that the sleeping keyholes you two unlocked during the Mark of Mastery exam have restored the worlds from the realm of sleep, breaking them free from their dream state; However their Keyholes of light that you may remember closing on your first journey are unlocked. Sora, this will be your second chance to show the Mark of Mastery and be acknowledged as a Keyblade Master, and Kairi, this will be a test of your abilities."

**Chapter 3: Journey Preparation **

The Gummi ship propelled itself forward through the warp tunnel, the weird violet/white/navy blue surrounding them was the only viewable thing behind the windows of the bridge. Kairi seemed entranced by the spectrum of colours, oogling at them all. Riku was being mindful and quiet. His arms crossed and his face frowned in deep thought about something that remained a mystery to the other two. Sora meanwhile was pressing a few buttons on the main control panel, making sure the autopilot was taking them towards Disney Castle.

"So, anyone have any preferences on the new Gummi?" Sora enquired when he wheeled his chair around to face his other two companions.

"A separate bedroom would be nice, like Yen Sid's castle," Kairi spoke from her thoughts loudly, "And a better bathroom too. I appreciate the tower having basic functions but not having a warm shower is just…wrong."

Riku glanced over to Sora for a moment before the two started to laugh a little before turning into full blown laughter. He wiped a tear out of his bright blue eyes and glanced at the redhead, "It's been too long since all three of us journeyed like this together. Remember the field trip our parents took us on when we were kids?"

Sora thought for a moment and then smiled, "The one where we found the secret islands for the first time? When Kairi complained that the Island didn't have any sort of shower?"

Kairi felt the heat rising rapidly in her cheeks and scowled at the two men "I was a kid back then when I thought that I had to have a shower every two seconds!" She crossed her arms and turned back to her control panel. "Besides...I'd like to have SOME luxuries on a journey like this."

Sora chuckled and held up a finger. "Trust me when I say that on journeys like this, you may have to give up some creature comforts. Small price to pay to save the world, ya know."

Kairi glanced at the brunette and softened her gaze at him. "I guess."

Sora turned his chair to face Kairi full-on, glancing at her and bending down a little to look into her eyes. Something was up, that much he could definitely deduce from that; but what was eating her was another question. "What's wrong?"

Kairi jumped a little in her seat and felt the heat rise in her cheeks and waved him off. "It's nothing!" she giggled half-heartedly and turned back to her control panel, focusing on a big flashing button in particular. _It's not like I'm nervous or anything about going on my first world saving journey._

Riku smiled, closed his eyes and shook his head before turning to the brunette himself. "So what's the plan when we hit the castle? It'd be rude to just take a Gummi and go."

Kairi turned back towards the other two. "It'd be a good idea to head into the town…if it has a town, to get some supplies. Who knows when we'll next have the chance to stock up like this?"

Sora nodded. "Building a Gummi from scratch isn't easy I can tell you. I usually had to make use of a blueprint to build a new one. It'll take at least a couple of hours or so to build the ship on a template before we can build the actual ship." He smirked a little. "Of course, I've had extensive time building Gummi's, so this should be a snap."

Kairi brought up her hand and giggled quietly. "There you go again…being big headed as usual."

"What? I have!" The Gummi erupted in light-hearted laughter again.

The three friends were clueless to what was happening elsewhere on a world that never was; Clueless that the journey that lay before them would be one that would strain their friendship; along with their light, to breaking point.

**VVVV**

The Green eyed figured jumped down from a stack of crates and clutched his bloody side with a loud groan. He remained stationary on all fours, trying to force his body to move past the pain to keep moving. Blood dripped slowly from an open wound that stained his body-warmer and jacket, making a small puddle around his legs. He bore his teeth and hissed as a fresh stab of pain shot up his side. He forced himself onto his legs and moved towards the nearest building the male could find. He bashed the door open with his shoulder and kicked it shut behind him; then wheeled around the side and leaned against the wall next to the door.

The room was a bare one, basic furniture occupied the middle of the room and a thick layer of dust hung in the air. A set of pans were dirty in a nearby sink, dirt and grime covering them and a dim flame lit the table in the middle of the four chairs. He knew that someone had been occupying the house, but they hadn't come to greet him so he took it as a sign that he was safe. He let out another hiss of pain and shrugged off his rifle and held it in both of his hands, a look of sadness crossing his features. He lamented the lack of use the rifle had recently but the lack of ammo had forced him to abandon the weapon. It had saved his life more times on this world than he dared count. He brushed off a small layer of dust that had collected on the rifle and placed it to one side. After awkwardly shrugging off his backpack he begun to search through the bag:

Among the bits and bobs such as books, small pouches of food he had scavenged from various places and water, he found what he was looking for; a first aid kit. With a grunt of effort he pulled the large box from the bag and opened it up. His hand first dived for one of the smaller needles filled with morphine and plunged it into his leg. It wouldn't stop the pain for long, but it'd help.

He sat forward and shrugged off his duster coat, followed by his pistol holsters and then his body-warmer. His hissed when the fabric touched the wound gently. Upon a closure examination, it wasn't as bad as it looked. The cold air and the general dark atmosphere the city eradiated just made it seem like that. It hadn't taken him long to slowly shrug off his white shirt and fling it to the side. His chest had a large number of scars all different shapes and sizes; the majority of them were claw shaped from the various Neoshadows (that had seemed to stop their pursuit he noted) he had encountered when he first arrived at this city.

Without wasting any more time (at the risk of an infection) he cleaned the wound (painfully) and wrapped the bandages around his chest. He cut off the excess bandage and threw it into the box without a care in the world. The morphine was starting to take some effect and it was starting to make him drowsy. His dark navy jeans were slightly stained and torn from the mixture of blood and effort he had put them through and his black boots were starting to show signs of wear and tear.

"Well…better keep moving." He muttered and shrugged on his Shirt, body-warmer, holsters and duster coat. His side was screaming in pain, but he forced himself to ignore it. He had to keep moving if he were to survive. He checked both his pistols, making sure they were both fully loaded, satisfied that he was as prepared as he could, he was about to go to the door when he heard footsteps from the stairs behind him. In a practised motion, he wheeled around and drew one of his pistols. _Just for five minutes I want to go without having to check my back._

He froze when a black boot came into view from between the banisters of the stairs; a second one soon came into view, followed by a flash of skin and then a pair of navy baggy trousers. He relaxed a little. The only things he had seen in this city were heartless and the black coat and that was enough for him. Soon the figure came into full view, wearing a grey, armoured vest with two straps going over their shoulders, A pair of the same coloured (and material) arm guards were attached tightly. The shoulders (apart from the straps) was left bare to the elements and a pair of small swords was sheathed diagonally on the back of her hip in an X pattern. Her blonde hair was let loose down to her next area and a pair of grey eyes bore into his green. "Well, what do we have here?" She enquired, a small smile tugging at her lips, any colour within them had been sucked out, leaving them a sort of dry pink colour.

Knowing he was speaking to someone who was possibly friendly he lowered his weapon but kept it in his hand, just in case. "I could say the same to you, wasn't expecting to see anyone else alive out here."

The woman smiled and nodded, "ditto." She walked down the rest of the stairs and stood in-front of them, roughly at the same height as he was. Her grey eyes were examining him deeply, as if searching for something. "What's your name?"

The man looked at her for a second and then placed his pistol in his holster before extending a hand. "Flynn Silvers. And you are?"

The woman took the hand and shook it firmly, "Hikari Luneth" She dropped her hand and checked outside the window for a moment before regarding Flynn once more. "How'd that happen? I doubt a Heartless managed." She nodded her head towards his bloodied side.

Flynn guessed that she was talking about the now slightly bloody shirt he was wearing. He glanced at her side-long. "I got caught with my guard down. Someone with a bizarre looking weapon managed to get me."

Hikari looked at him for a moment, taking note of the bizarre weapon and shook her head. "I see. You didn't get a glimpse of who it was?"

Flynn's only response was his shaking head.

The silence stretched out uneasily between the two of them. The tension hung in the air like a thick humid rainforest, always pressing in on you and always bugging you. Eventually Hikari turned to Flynn and shook her head, her face tightened up and her eyes bore at the floor in anger, "What did the weapon look like?"

Flynn shrugged and walked along to the window as well, it looked clear, for now. "'Bout the length of my arm, golden handle and silver blade with teeth shaped like a crown. To be honest it looked pretty blunt, cut me good though."

Hikari's breath stopped in her chest during the description and shook her head again. "You have no idea what's going on do you?"

Flynn chuckled and looked over to her. "I get the feeling you're going to give me a fairly good clue about it all."

Hikari moved towards the stairs and nodded. "I'll explain while we eat. You look hungry as hell."

**VVVV**

It wasn't long before Sora had brought the Gummi out of the Warp Tunnel and into a smooth(ish) landing in the Gummi hanger bay. Kairi had marvelled at the colours that the world had shown her through her tiny viewpoint. She had never seen grass or leaves so green or such bright flowers. She longed to just explore the world (she'd have plenty of time for that while Sora builds the ship). She wondered if she could drag Riku out with her to do some supply shopping too. Her thoughts were shattered when the entire ship vibrated violently.

"Sorry!" Sora yelled out from the cockpit, "It's been awhile since I landed a Gummi." He stretched out on the chair, his torso arching forward and a deep, satisfied humming emitting from his mouth before releasing it. He stood up from the chair and shook Riku awake before opening the landing ramp and walking outside.

The Gummi Hanger was nothing extravagant. It was a large, plain grey bay with various pieces of different equipment to the side. Behind them a pair of blast doors was slowly closing, blocking out the small rays of the sun. A section of the bay was cornered off, a large number of blocks rested in the middle with a pair of chipmunks jumping over them as if taking stock of what they have.

"Chip, Dale!" Sora yelled over excitedly, raising a hand in greeting and walking (almost jogging) over to them. He stopped just short as the chipmunks regarded the brunette and jumped down from the pile.

"Sora! We're just taking stock of the blocks, the king told us ya gonna build another Gummi." One of them jumped up and down. He wore a red vest while the other wore a blue. If it weren't for the vest's Sora wouldn't have been able to tell the two apart.

"By us, he means me." A female spoke up from the other side of the hanger, a pair of wooden doors opening from the entrance as she walked in. She wore a loose olive coloured shirt underneath a pair of dirty, blue overalls. Her face was darkened by stains of oil and the likes, a once white towel slung over her shoulder. A small denim blue hat covered her hair. She nodded and shook the brunette's hand, "Name's Roxy Santangelo. I'll be your pilot and taking care of the mechanical side of the Gummi.

"I can pilot it just fine!" Sora debated and crossed his arms.

Roxy giggled a little "Yeah, you're approach was totally 'fine'," She highlighted fine with air quotes with her fingers. "That and you scratched up my floor when you landed, plus it's the King's decision to send the best pilot here with you." She placed her hands on her hip. "Besides you'll want to get this Gummi ship up and running quickly right? I've been studying all manner of ships for years since I was little, a Gummi Ship is nothing compared to what I could do."

Riku soon emerged from the ship, grumbling a little that he had been awoken from slumber. He regarded the hanger bay for a moment before looking at the woman for a moment. "Why do you have dark violet hair?"

Roxy stiffened a little and tucked away stray strand of the hair underneath her hat. Now that Riku had pointed it out, Kairi had noted a few stray strands of dark violet hair poking out from her tomboyish hat. "The first thing you notice about a girl in oily overalls and a dirty face and it's the stray strands of hair that get you Mr?"

"Oh Sorry!" Kairi piped in and bowed in apology, where had her manners gone? Possibly with her stomach when they had warped in the Gummi. "My name is Kairi, the brunette is Sora and Mr sleepy over there is Riku." The group bowed, waved and groaned respectively.

"A pleasure," Roxy bowed forward slightly and put a flat hand over her heart in a sort of salute. "At any rate we're ready to begin with the blueprint whenever you are but before you do that, Queen Minnie as asked that you go see her." Roxy waved and started to walk over to a smaller room on the side. "I'll be here if you need me." She walked inside and closed the door behind her.

"Well," Sora spoke up and stretched out as high as he could to loosen up his muscles. "We better go pay our respects to the queen."

**VVVV**

Despite being a queen of a large world, Kairi found out that Minnie was very informal when it came to close friends. She insisted that she called her Minnie and not to bow or curtsey at all. Yet Kairi felt that Minnie, despite being a small mouse, had that sense of royalty about her a sense of a leader that could lead through troubled times if she had to. It was true what they say about small packages, they always seemed to have the biggest surprises.

"It's so nice to see you all safe. Mickey told me what happened with your Mark of Mastery exam," Minnie's large, white gloved hands were on top of her pink dress. The four of them were sitting in the large garden at a table that had been arranged for them. Kairi could just spot a few figures standing nearby, possibly protection for the queen, but inside her own home? She wondered if the queen was in danger even within the castle walls. "I shudder to think of what Xehanort is planning, but I know you three will stop him." Minnie continued, picking up her pristine, china mug and sipped some of the tea before placing it on an equally matching china mat. She looked over to Riku and smiled. "Congratulations on passing the exam."

Riku smiled half-heartedly and bowed his head. "Thank you Minnie. How have things been recently?"

Minnie let out a sigh and shook her head. "Things have been steadily getting worst with each passing day. Where we used to pick up refugees every few months, they seemed to be increasing in number. I fear it may be Maleficent or Xehanort's doing. I've had to increase the security around the town and the castle too." She looked over to Sora and then Kairi. "Roxy is one such survivor. I don't know where she learnt about Gummi ships or piloting, maybe her world was built upon air transportation, but she's been invaluable for helping with the hanger."

Kairi smiled. "Roxy was a…different person to what I'm used to." She felt the heat in her cheeks as the statement left her mouth. It had only just occurred to her about the deepness of this journey was going to be for her. She was surprised that Riku had picked her up from the Island to train her in the art of the Keyblade. She'd be journeying to new worlds, meeting new and different people and probably have to fight as well and sure she had done some of that involuntarily it was only briefly too. She wondered what she'd be doing right now if she wasn't here right now, probably studying to become a lawyer like her mother.

Minnie nodded. "Speaking of which, I wanted to ask you a favour." She turned to Sora with a hard and serious look in her eyes. "I know it's asking a lot, but I'd like you to take someone with you."

Sora crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. "It's not much of an issue, but is there any particular reason why?"

Minnie shook her head. "It's not my place to say. If she wants to tell you, she will but please trust me when I say it'll benefit both you and her."

Kairi nodded. "If we can help this person and she can help us, I don't think we can turn down the offer of additional help on this journey." She turned to Sora, "what do you think?"

"I agree, the more the merrier right? Where is this person?" Sora asked Minnie, taking a bite from the toast that was on his plate.

"She's just patrolling the castle at the moment. I'll ask her to accompany you to the town as you'll probably want to stock up on supplies before you set out on the journey." Minnie hopped off her chair and brushed down her dress. The other three also stood up. "I'm afraid I have some things that need attending to. You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need however."

Sora smiled. "We appreciate the offer, but I think we all want to get moving as soon as possible. I'll find Roxy and get to work on the new Gummi ship."

Kairi nodded. "If you want Riku, you can help Sora. I can handle the supplies as long as you give me a list of what we need."

"Sounds good to me." Riku crossed his arms over his chest. "See if the person Minnie wants us to take with us will open up a little." He raised a hand as Minnie was about to protest. "With the greatest amount of respect, I'd feel a little bit more relaxed knowing that we aren't going to carry an explosive package."

Minnie nodded. "I suppose that's fair, but please be gentle."

"I will" Kairi assured the miniature queen and smiled warmly. "Now about that list…"

**Next time on Kingdom Hearts 3: Whispers of Darkness**

Roxy and Sora were in a small room nearby the hanger. The room was completely bare save for the number of chairs in the corner, all of them stacked up one atop another. The only object in the room was a large table with a glass sphere in the middle of it. The sphere was currently alight, protecting a three-dimensional image into the thin air. A small model of a Gummi ship rotated on the spot. A number of small engines were on the back and the lasers, underneath the cockpit.

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**And so it ends. **

**I'd like to thank Akizakura202 for her help in helping me with my grammar and punctuation. It's my biggest weakpoint in my writing and I'm trying to stamp it out.  
Hikari Luneth is actually her character to from her Kingdom Hearts x Naruto crossover (Luneth is a surname I gave her) from "When Darkness Turns to Light"  
I really do recommend you go give it a read as her talent is AWESOME...better than my honestly.**

**I know people will have questions about the OC's...so far I can think of abooout...5 possibly 6 (Including the ones that have been featured) making an appearance in this story but we shall see.**


	5. Chapter 4: Calm before the storm

**I'm leaving this short and sweet...I missed the last deadline mostly due to gaming and work...and the realisation that I haven't made nearly enough notes than I should have  
Thanks to Jen for the support as usual! **

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**Previously on Kingdom Hearts 3: Whispers of Darkness**

Kairi nodded. "If you want Riku, you can help Sora. I can handle the supplies as long as you give me a list of what we need."

"Sounds good to me." Riku crossed his arms over his chest. "See if the person Minnie wants us to take with us will open up a little." He raised a hand as Minnie was about to protest. "With the greatest amount of respect, I'd feel a little bit more relaxed knowing that we aren't going to carry an explosive package."

Minnie nodded. "I suppose that's fair, but please be gentle."

"I will" Kairi assured the miniature queen and smiled warmly. "Now about that list…"

**Chapter 4: Calm before the storm**

The food that Hikari had gathered was anything other than extravagant feast. Thin pieces of bread were placed onto one small plate accompanied by some ham and a small block of cheese. A number of dark brown pills were inside a bowl placed behind it all. A jug of water sat in the middle of the rounded table. One of the chairs had a layer of dust from its lack of use. Hikari took the chair that wasn't dusty and sat down.

"Are you sure? There's not a lot here to eat." Flynn asked her. He would accept the food gratefully, but he'd never take food from someone who needed it more than himself. He had always been selfless like that. It reminded him on that time when his mother often scolded him for being 'too nice' to people on the street. He couldn't stop looking at the food however. His stomach rumbled as if in reply to his conflicted thoughts.

"I'm sure. We both need to eat and you look like you haven't seen food for days" She replied, smiling warmly as she sorted out some of the food, placing the ham and cheese within the bread and passed it over to him and then sorted out her own food. "So I assume you have a story? Or just one of those random grunts you tend to bump into?"

Flynn chuckled and took a bite out of the sandwich, the bread was hard, and the entire thing tasted dry. Food was food through; he wasn't going to complain about that. "My story? I suppose you deserve to know."

_**VVVV**_

_I lived in a small community on my world, population about a hundred, maybe just under that. Everyone knew the others like we were all best friends for our entire lives and if you thought about it; it was what we all had for companionship. The elders often said that those outside of the village was nothing but trouble makers but that point was invalid since we interacted with those sorts of people on a regular basis._

_I can remember the day that it all started. The sun was burning brightly on my back and sweat was sticking my clothes to my back, while I stood on the sentry tower to keep watch for monsters. The wind was blowing the lush, green grass to one side and also provided a nice gentle breeze. Behind me I could hear the marketplace thriving with life and activity. People from many different towns came to our small village because of the abundance of meat we can procure in the nearby forests and sea. Many of the fishermen were trying to outsell each other while trying to keep their profits high and the sound of knives chopping easily through the meat and into the wooden boards never ceased. It wasn't anything exciting but it was my life and one which I was happy with._

_I remember hearing my sister call up to me from the ground. Her hair shimmered slightly in the sun as if she had recently washed it. Her swords hung at her hip as they always did whenever she was out. I remembered that she had something in her hands, a package of some sort and was waving at me to come down. I had just gotten up when the entire village suddenly went black and clouds moved in at a pace that was almost supernatural. _Flynn sighed as he took a breath to down the glass of water that Hikari had given him before placing the empty glass on the table with a slight bang. He nodded himself and glanced up at the steely-grey eyes. _That was when I got my first glimpse of the heartless; Small black things with yellow eyes that seemed to hone in on anyone in their way. _Flynn shook his head. _My rifle did the trick but there was so many of them, their sheer numbers alone allowed them to get into the village and without hesitation, they butchered innocent lives. I had never seen anything like it. They sort of ripped the victim open and gorged on their heart and then the victim just…disappeared into thin air like they had never existed. My sister and I had managed to keep a number of civilians safe by fleeing the village but then soon after that, the ground shook violently and the ground opened up and started to break apart. Above us a large storm was starting to brew. Purple lightning forked out from the epicentre of a whirlwind of darkness above us. At the time I didn't know this but this was how our world was consumed by darkness. When I came too, I was here_

**VVVV**

Flynn took another long sigh and a second sip of water that Hikari had refilled while he was explaining his story. "I had been here for years, thinking I was alone. I had to scavenge my food as and when it came around, I couldn't afford to be picky in this situation. After realising that I had no way off this world, I set up a home-camp in an abandoned skyscraper that towered over the city. The height gave me an advantage." He glanced over at Hikari who was listening intently at his story. "The rest you know. Attacked by heartless, stumble upon your hidey-hole." He nodded in her general direction.

"And you only met the guy with the bizarre weapon once?"

Flynn flashed a toothy grin at her and looked at her side-long with a single green eye. "I was VERY good at being hidden when I wanted to be." He turned and faced her full on. "But it'd be an overstatement if I didn't say that I bumped into him more than once."

Hikari took a double take and shook her head to get around that information. "You've been alone for the past four years? That's impossible even for the best of the best."

Flynn nodded solemnly. "Yeah – I'm twenty-two at the moment. Not much fun losing out on the young adulthood because of some douche." He took a final bite from the sandwich before placing the hard remains to one side and let out a satisfied hum of approval, the food hit the spot when he needed it the most. "So, how about you? Feel like telling a story?"

Hikari nodded and smiled half-heartedly. "Fair is fair, you told me yours so I'll tell you mine." She started off but stopped when a loud bang echoed from the downstairs room.

Flynn was up on his feet within seconds; his hand darted for his pistol and pointing down the stairs as a second bang, louder this time, reached his ears. "Another time, I think we got company. You got another way out?"

Hikari nodded and ran to the opposite end of the room and jumped up, grabbing something wooden in her hand and then pulled down with all her might. Her strength and gravity won out as a ladder slid from above and landed with a thud on the floor. "Come on!"

**VVVV**

Roxy and Sora were in a small room nearby the hanger. The room was completely bare save for the number of chairs in the corner, all of them stacked up one atop another. The only object of interest in the room was a large table with a glass sphere in the middle of it. The sphere was currently alight, protecting a three-dimensional image into the thin air. A small model of a Gummi ship rotated on the spot. A number of small engines were on the back and the lasers, underneath the cockpit.

"Geez…is that honestly the best you can come up with?" Roxy asked the brunette with an inquisitive look. "You've barely got enough power in the engines to get you from place to place and the amount of weaponry isn't going to serve you well in a fight."

Sora chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. He swore he was better at this; he must be rusty at it. "I haven't done this for a while, cut me some slack here." He pressed down on the keyboard nearby and wiped the design clean. "I don't suppose you got any suggestions?"

Roxy grinned and put a clenched hand up to her mouth, nibbling on her thumb as she thought about possible designs that would be suitable . "I got a few actually, yeah." She stepped forward and typed in a few commands into the keyboard and glanced up. A Solid-Helm cockpit appeared on the display and she moved it along. Before long she was placing the main components into the Gummi Ship. Sora watched with interest, but didn't say anything when Roxy saved the designed and moved onto another blueprint. The design was similar but Sora noted that she was making the same sort of ship, but with a different approach. He remained silent as he worked, marvelling at the speed she was producing the blueprints.

"Alrighty then." She finally said, stepped back and stretching her back by arching it slightly. She regarded Sora with a slight smirk and brought up the first design.

Sora looked at it keenly and noted that it looked similar to his own design, the differences being that it was slightly bigger and had more engines to it. "This doesn't look much different to the one I had ya know."

Roxy rolled her eyes and ignored the comment. "This ship has a bigger emphasis on evasion and dodging. Note the small booster engines dotted around the edges of the ship. I can activate them in an emergency to move the ship in one direction in a split second. Other than that, yes it's not much different. However:" Roxy started to say and switched over to the second design. It was flatter than the previous one. Two mean looking weapons were to the right side of the ship while the cockpit to the far left. Above the cockpit was another pair of weapons, looking like missiles tubes and underneath a third powerful laser. Above and below the hull were two long objects that Sora had no idea what they were.

"This one is my personal favourite. I recreated one of the ships I had on my homeworld yet the name of it escapes me. The way this ship is designed helps in deflecting enemy fire away from any of the critical systems like the engines, shields and so on so forth. These two wings fold back to make landing a bit easier and when extended bring additional firepower to the fight. As well as stabilise the ship a little, ya know; big heavy lasers on the other end." Roxy explained and pressed a button. The holographic ship wings moved out of its collapsed position – opening to a 45 degree angle to the ship, giving it a weird sideways Y shape.

Sora nodded. "We'll go with that one then. You know the ship if it's from your homeworld so it means less time trying to fix a ship that you don't have much knowledge on right? Plus you're clearly fond of it."

Roxy managed a half-smile and nodded. "Yeah...it brings back memories. If it wasn't for a Karin's dad giving me a toy spaceship for my birthday when I was a kid I wouldn't be into the whole thing."

Sora raised an eyebrow and looked over at Roxy. "Karin? Is she the one the Queen wants us to bring along on our journey?"

"I assume so. Karin's been looking for her brother for years on end but her duty here required her to abandon that quest and she never had the…shall we say pride to ask for help with something like that. She won't admit it out right that she wants the help." Roxy sighed and giggled a little. "Her brother is a bit like that too. The pair of them are so selfless it's inspiring." She looked at Sora with hard eyes. "I know we'll be busy trying to find out what Xehanort is up to, but when we get time-"

Sora held up a hand and smiled. "Of course Roxy. I know exactly what you and Karin are going through. I give you my word as a Keyblade wielder that we'll help you find him."

Roxy looked at him for a moment and then started to chuckle. "Wow, I never thought you could sound so…noble, ser knight." She added on with a smile. "You can go see what your friends are up to if you want. Building the Gummi will take the rest of the day anyway." She turned to the brunette, "Can I ask that you don't mention this to anyone? Karin would have my head if she found out I told you."

"Don't worry. I won't say a thing unless she does." Sora nodded, stood up and stretched.

Roxy couldn't help but shake her head and smile while Sora made for the doorway. "I guess the Queen is right. We don't have anything to worry about with him about."

**VVVV**

Meanwhile Kairi and Karin had just gotten off the royal transport that was reserved for the citizens of the castle to get to and from the town quickly. Karin's sword sheaths shimmered in the bright sunlight that highlighted the town that was bursting with energy. Kairi didn't quite know what to look at first. The large ice-cream building that was situated to the side with a lengthy queue outside of it, or the colourful benches, lampposts and such.

"Wow" was all that Kairi could say to the town. The Islands were busy, but the marvel wore off quickly for her; it was all the same boring shops and same people. But Disney town was something else to her. All the 'people' were like Donald and Goofy, anthromorphic animals walked around with human beings as if it were second nature. She spotted a horse sporting blue overalls and a red shirt walking about the town's fountain. Three little ducks could be seen inside the ice-cream building.

"First time?" Karin asked the redhead as the two walked into the town and past a large red letterbox.

"Yeah. I mean, I've seen some pretty weird stuff. I was kidnapped by Xemnas who was leading the Organisation and then trained with an old wizard to use an ancient weapon of light. You'd think I'd be used to stuff like this," Kairi explained. "Yet I'm always surprised at what each world can hold for me. Just when I thought I've seen it all, something will jump out at me." The redhead sighed and shrugged. "I guess I'll have to get used to it."

Karin nodded and led the way towards the marketplace. It was a large section of the town that was used exclusively for the markets. Hundreds of stalls were set up to the sides, each showing off their own unique wares along with handwritten prices. You could barely make out one conversation over the other as everyone was shouting as loud as they could:

"Potions here, get yer potions here! Only 30 munny!"  
"rare and exotic fruits gathered from the far reaching worlds, discounted for today only!"  
"Get your cart parts here! Participate in the Rumble Race with the best gear munny can buy!"

Karin groaned. "I forgot…its Sunday, meaning it's the weekly market sale. This might take longer than I thought." She brought a hand up to her forehead in annoyance and shook her head.

Kairi shook her head and smiled warmly. "I don't mind. It'll give us some time to get to know each other." She made for the nearest stand and looked at the vials filled with red liquid with interest. If she remembered rightly, Yen Sid said that they were health potions which could heal internal wounds as well as close up any external wounds. "We could probably do with a number of these." Kairi looked over her shoulder at Karin behind her and pointed at the potions.

Karin nodded. "Good idea." She stepped forward to the stand and examined each potion in turn. She then stood up and regarded the salesmen who looked like a tiger with a brown apron on. "How much for the entire batch?"

"It would come up to about twenty-five thousand," the cat started but then noted the crest on Karin chestplate. "But for the member of the royal guard I'll give you a twenty per cent discount."

Karin smiled and nodded. "That's good enough for me. Could you get it sent to the castle as soon as possible please? I'm afraid I'm supply shopping and carrying them would be uh…difficult."

The tiger bowed her head. "Of course. I will get my colleague to deliver it immediately."

Karin continued to smile as she dipped into a black hip bag and took out a small notepad and jotted down something within the pages. "Please give this to whoever is on duty, they will make sure you are paid."

Kairi watched the entire transaction with a mixture of interest and awe. Karin clearly knew what she was doing and she assumed that the Queen had given Karin permission to shop for whatever they needed using royal funds. It only made her want to prove herself more so she didn't waste on the kindness that was being shown to her and the others. She followed Karin from the stand and continued to glance around– looking for anything that may be worthwhile and beneficial to the journey. "So who are you anyway Karin?"

Karin looked at Kairi with a _questionative_ look, her eyebrow raised but her features soft. "What do you mean? My name is Karin Silvers and I'm royal protector to the queen." She stepped closer to the stand and examined something that Kairi couldn't see but turned her face in disgust and walked on.

Kairi bit her lip. She had been wondering on how she would approach the subject. She wanted to respect Karin's privacy but at the same time, knew that Riku had a valid point about not wanting a time bomb with them. "Well…the queen wanted us to take you on the journey for some reason. I was just curious as to why.

Karin's eyes lowered to the floor and her body visibly slouched a little. "I see," she regarded Kairi and shook her head. "Sorry but it's private and personal. I'll be grateful if you do let me come for the ride and I may tell you when I get to know everyone better. All I can ask of you is to respect my decision."

Kairi nodded quickly. "O-of course. I meant no offense if I caused any." She immediately regretted her decision to follow what Riku wanted her to do but she was glad that Karin hadn't torn into her for asking.

"Come on. We got plenty of more shopping to do." Karin said and continued to shift through the crowds.

**VVVV**

"Come on Hikari! Jump!" Flynn shouted from the street. He glanced down both ends of the street and was relieved to see that it was still clear. He looked up at Hikari with a look of worry.

Hikari ducked under a Neoshadows swipe and countered with a swift uppercut with one of her shorts words. She rolled to the side as a second lunged at her and the Neoshadow continued past her and off the roof's edge.

The Neoshadow looked behind it and then noted Flynn and began to descend upon the male, only to meet its end with a bullet between its large glowing eyes. "Hikari we've not got the time to fight!"

Hikari glanced down behind her and then back at the sea of Neoshadows that were climbing through the rooftop door that she had opened. Without a second thought she turned and jumped down from the roof and into Flynn's waiting arms. "Thanks."

"Thank me later, we gotta go." Flynn said while he put Hikari back on her feet. Above him, the Neoshadows were following the young female. He brought his pistol up to bear and started to open fire on each figure. He started to run forward after Hikari and growled when his pistol clicked empty. _One pistol down_, _one left._

"So, any ideas?" Hikari asked him when he eventually caught up to her. The pair rounded a corner into an alleyway and hid behind a stack of crates left behind a building.

Flynn holstered the empty pistol and took out the other. He glanced around the side of the crates and quickly withdrew back when he saw a number of Neoshadows run past the alleyway. "We get to my base of operations. It's out of the way and reinforced and then we can figure out a way to get out of here."

"Sounds like a plan, but we stirred up the hornet's nest. How are we going to get around in a city of darkness with our hearts of light?" Hikari questioned. She glanced up at the man beside her with a curious look. "How DO you plan on getting off this world?"

Flynn's face twisted in a half-hearted smirk and shook his head. "No idea. I'm just making this up as I go along. That floating castle," Flynn indicated to the large structure floating in the distance. "Might be the key to getting off this world, but it's completely isolated from the city, No way in unless we can fly." He glanced around the corner again and waved with his hand that it was clear. The two emerged from their hiding place slowly and cautious in case of any stragglers jumped at them. Flynn hugged the left side of the street while Hikari had the right side.

Flynn glanced over to Hikari for a moment, her face looking like she was thinking about something. "Got something you'd like to share?"

Hikari broke out of her thoughts and shook her head. "No, just thinking about something…nothing important." She held both blades in a reverse style and occasionally her head would flick around to check behind them, her blonde hair following like a golden stream behind her.

"Alright then, let's keep going before we get caught in the open." Flynn continued onward and his gripped tightened around his pistol.

**Next time on Kingdom Hearts 3: Whispers of Darkness**

At that moment the earth started to shake, followed by a large fireball erupting from the direction of the town and into the sky. Black smoke started to float up into the sky and mixed in with the cloud, giving the town an eerie backdrop. "Let's go" Sora said to Riku. They both nodded and ran in the direction of the town.

* * *

**Insert the usual - please review, share and all that jazz speech here**  
**See you next time!**


	6. Chapter 5: Open Your Heart

**Chapter 5: Open Your Heart.**

It was late afternoon when Karin and Kairi had emerged from the last stand of the marketplace. The sun was just setting over the edge of the nearby houses, casting everything in a strange orange glow. It reminded Kairi of the sunset's she often watched with Sora and Riku back at the Islands. The market place has died down since the two had started their shopping trips. Many of the stalls had packed up and left, selling all of the wares they had bought. Only a handful remained in a bid to sell their stock before the days end.

"So is that everything?" Karin asked her as they walked through the street. She glanced at the list that Kairi had obtained from Riku and was ticking off every item in the list. She chewed on the end of the pen while trying to figure out if they had forgotten anything.

"I think so. At lease we got the bare essentials and if we need anything else the other worlds would have them right?" Kairi asked with a finger on her chin in thought.

"From what the King has told me, yes and no. Yes because you got places such as Radiant Garden which is a safe haven for refugees and such, with many people making a living there through various professions. No because you may visit some bizarre places that aren't as sophisticated as other worlds." Karin explained, pausing briefly for a moment to choose the right words.

"I see." All of a sudden, Kairi didn't feel prepared for the journey that lay before her. Everyone else had so much faith in her abilities; so much that even Yen Sid was praising her for her magical aptitude. But she didn't FEEL like she had made any progress from the wild swinging of the blade, back when Sora and Riku had rescued her from The World That Never Was. _I can do it…I have to._ She nodded to herself in affirmation. She would rise to the challenge, for Sora's sake.

The pair stopped just outside of a large building. The signpost handing above the door swung gently in the breeze. The decal was an anvil behind a pair of hammers and if one were to listen, the faint sounds of hammer blows raining upon steel could be heard from within. "I didn't think this place needed a blacksmith." Kairi glanced up at the sign. The world seemed peaceful enough to not warrant any sort of weapons.

"We have to outfit the royal guard somehow, and when the lanes between were closed off we had no way to defend ourselves; so we decided to set up a blacksmith here." Karin explained. "I need to head inside for a moment. You can head back if you want."

Kairi shook her head. "I'm fine. The more I experience the better right?" She smiled brightly at the end knight and held the door open for her.

Karin smiled and nodded. "True, we shouldn't be long I promise." She walked past the redhead and into the blacksmithy and Kairi followed quickly after that. Immediately the hot and humid air inside of the building assaulted her bare skin. Sweat quickly formed across her brow as she looked around the shop.

A large amount of weaponry hung high up on the walls, all in locked display cases that displayed each sharp looking sword and blunt hammers in all its violent splendour. Mannequins stood underneath the cases, each displaying a different set of armour. One simple breastplate caught Kairi's eye. It was a simple fit, almost looking like the guard that archers would wear, a singular strap over the left shoulder. A bald man in dirty, brown overalls walked past her and glanced at her with a pupil-less eye, the other covered by an eye patch. He stood behind the counter and beamed a toothy grin at the redhead. "Welcome to Core's Blacksmithy. If it's not made by core, it won't do yo much good!" He spoke in a raspy voice in Kairi's direction.

Karin stepped in, noting Kairi's uneasy at dealing with the intimidating man. "She's with me Albert. I was wondering if you've finished the special order for me." Karin said, smiling a little and placed both hands firmly on the counter.

Albert smiled, his toothy grin bearing at the knight. "A pleasure to see you again, Miss Silvers. You're order has just been completed. I'll go get it." Albert spoke in his raspy voice and left to go into the back room.

Karin turned her back to the counter and leaned on it, her fingers curling around the edge of the counter and watched Kairi examine the armour pieces on the mannequins. Her finger tapped on the wood as she waited, her brow frowned in deep thought. "Kairi…do you have someone you want to protect?"

Kairi stopped suddenly and glanced over to the black haired knight, her eyes wide in shock. Her cheeks flustered a deep red. "W-why the sudden question?"

Karin smiled a little. "You seem to be very concerned about the journey. You talk the big game, but deep down I can see how nervous and insecure you are about it, I had to same look when I first joined the military on my world." She stepped forward and examined the armour with her as well. "I didn't have to, but I did it…because I wanted to protect my brother. Mankind tends to push themselves beyond the call of duty if it's to protect someone else."

Kairi looked at her for a moment, and then returned to examining the armour piece. "I…do, but I doubt I could protect them." The redhead bowed her head and sighed, "But I know I have to get stronger to get there." She looked up at Karin with a bright smile. "So no matter what happens, I'll keep pushing, and I'll keep training for his benefit."

Karin nodded and smiled. "Good." She giggled a little. "You know, you remind me of when I was younger. Wanting to push yourself for someone else. I had my brother but when the Heartless attacked, but we got separated during the attack and I've been here ever since."

Kairi looked up at the knight and placed a hand on Karin's. "Why the change of heart?"

Karin smiled weakly and shivered. "Because…I know that I need your help, and the only way to do that would be to tell you why I need to come with you." She glanced at Kairi with an apprehensive look. "Finding my brother is my responsibility, but I need help to do it."

Kairi smiled. "We'll help you Karin and if we find him, you can take care of it."

Karin smiled and nodded. "Thank you, but do me one favour," she started, a serious look in her eye. "Whoever you want to protect, don't leave it too late to tell them how you feel, you'll end up regretting it and it'll eat at your heart."

Kairi was about to speak, but stopped when the door opened behind them and Albert walked back into the room, holding a package wrapped in brown paper. The package was about as long as Karin's forearm.

"Here it is. I must say it was quite a challenge to implement the ManaDrive system into this, but the instructions you gave me worked like a charm. Albert handed the large package to Karin, who placed it against the counter carefully.

"Thank you Albert. Tell me, how much is that breastplate over there?" Karin asked and pointed out the wrong that Kairi had taken an interest in.

"Hmm...I'll give you a discount because you were so generous with the custom work, so about a thousand munny."

Karin smiled and took out her own bag and started to count out the required amount for the transaction. "While I'm sorting it out, could you make sure it fits this young lady please?"

Kairi gasped and shook her head. "I can't accept something like this Karin! Not this expensive from someone I've just met."

Karin chuckled and smiled. "It's fine. You're going to need some armour to protect yourself in the journey to come, might as well get something here while I can get it cheap." She turned back to face Albert while counting out the Mummy.

Kairi felt the heat rise in her cheeks again. She hadn't told Sora that she cared for him, nor admitted her feelings. Yet that strong urge to protect him, to take the weight that he was holding off form his shoulders tugged at her heart. Love was still a new concept for her. "I…thank you, Karin." She managed to spit out quietly.

Karin smiled. "We'll talk some more once Albert gets it fitted. The sooner you get it on, the better."

**VVVV**

Flynn's breath turned into a white mist each time he exhaled. His fingertips were starting to feel numb as his grip tightened around his pistol despite his hands being covered in his gloves. The dark city had gotten a lot colder all of a sudden, and even through the many layers he wore; the chill bit at his wound, making it throb painfully. He felt the warm breath of Hikari behind him as the pair took shelter around the corner of a house. A large congregation of Neoshadows were around the corner, searching high and low for their precious hearts. "Seems like they are waiting for us," he muttered quietly.

Hikari sighed and pushed past him to take a peak, crushing him against the wall. "We could probably take them ya know. They're only Heartless after all, not like they have any sort of tactics in battle."

Flynn shook his head and peak around, bending down underneath Hikari to look again. "It's too risky. We're outnumbered, I'm down to my last pistol magazine and my close quarter fighting is…not one of my strong points." He looked up at the buildings and the dark alleys. "Maybe there is another way around…" He stiffened when a Neoshadow turned to look in their direction. Hastily, he pulled Hikari back by her collar and hugged the wall, glancing at her side-long. "I hope it didn't see us." The silence stretched out uneasily between the two as they waited to see if they had been spotted.

A whooshing sound reached their ears, the source coming from behind them. Flynn slowly turned his head to find it, only to find a pair of big, bright, glowing yellow orbs staring at him. For a moment, nothing happened as Flynn slowly aimed his weapon at the heartless.

Hikari reacted quicker though; her blade drove itself through the Heartless's head, the blade clanged against the brick and the heartless disappeared. "See, nothing too it."

Flynn looked at her and then back around at to where the Neoshadows were. "Well done…but where are the others?"

Hikari tapped him on the shoulder and then pointed to the rooftops. "I…think, I have an idea."

Flynn looked over to the ninja and then up at the rooftops, gasping a little as he looked into the rooftops, seeing an army of glowing yellow eyes and black shapes. The yellow orbs leered at the two humans down below. He grabbed Hikari's arm and whispered. "Run." He pushed her forward and took up a firing stance and fired at the first few Shadows that lunged at him. He glanced back at her and glared. "Move it!"

Hikari looked at him with an annoyed glance. "What about you?"

"I'll catch up!" Flynn shouted at her, ducking under a Shadow that got too close and fired a bullet in its back. He butted a second in the face and punched a third. He then started to back pedal while firing into the mass of shadows.

Hikari growled and ran towards a small stack of crates, leaping ontop of them and then into the air. She crushed a Neoshadow with the fall and slashed both short swords, destroying a few in the wide slash. She ducked under a lunge from one Shadow and gracefully wheeled around on the spot, avoiding a second shadow and stabbing a third in the face. She flipped one of her swords so that she was holding it by the blade and threw it, catching one of the shadows that had pinned Flynn to the floor.

"Thanks." Flynn struggled to get up and ran towards Hikari's side, but was tripped up when a Shadow tripped him up. He landed face first on the floor and rolled onto his back, struggling with the Neoshadow, holding its arms at bay as the Heartless struggled to reach his heart. A stray slash cut into his upper torso, ripping through the clothing like it was nothing. Flynn let out a yell and head-butted the Shadow, brought his pistol to its stomach and fired the rest of his magazine into it. He groaned as he slowly tried to get back up. He yelled out verbally when his legs gave way and he collapsed on the floor.

"Flynn." Hikari ran up to him and leant him up against a nearby wall. She quickly ripped off one of her sleeps and tightened the cloth around one of his bleeding legs. "Can you stand?"

Flynn grunted and smiled weakly. "I'll manage." He shakily stood up, using the wall for support and glanced angrily at the horde of shadows. He lazily raised his pistol and fired his last bullet, hitting one of the Neoshadows. His arm slumped down and he dropped his pistol. "So, any other bright ideas?"

Hikari glanced at him for a moment. "Yeah…" She slowly stood in front of him, placing her swords on the floor and making a sign with her fingers. "Close your eyes." She started to pulse a bright glow as she started to walk towards the Heartless hoard.

"What are y-" Flynn started to say, but was forced to cover his eyes when her glow started to get brighter and stronger. The light then formed into separate pillars that raced around her in a circle. By then it was too bright to see. He could hear something happening, the sound of Heartless being destroyed…and then nothing.

When he opened his eyes, he scarcely hardly believe that not a single heartless remained. Hikari however was breathing shallowly and heavily on her knees. Sweat dropped from her forehead and the tip of her nose. Her arms shook violently as she attempted to keep herself upright with her arms. He ran over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hikari whatever you did, it was amazing." He told her, helping her up on her feet and placing one of her arms around the back of his neck. "Come on, my place isn't too far from here."

**VVVV**

Karin grunted as she pulled out her pink dress that kept rising up behind the metal breastplate that Karin had bought her. She straightened out one edge that was ruffled slightly. "This feels weird," she glanced over to the knight. "How do you people wear this stuff?"

Karin laughed and glanced back at the redhead. "You'll get used to it with time. It'll feel like a second skin and you'll be grateful when it saves your life. "Her hand moved around the handle of one of her longswords and she sighed, rubbing the green gem embedded in the pommel of the sword.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Kairi asked her, deciding to leave the metal armour as it was. She was still surprised that Karin had opened up to her so quickly. A part of her still felt bad for bringing up such a painful topic to the knight. It reminded her of herself when she had worried about Sora, so she could relate to what she was going through.

"I'm just worried." Karin glanced over to the redhead. "Aside from the king and queen, I've never told anyone my reason for joining the royal guard and wanting to go off-world. I've always been so focused on my training that I never swelled on the matter." He hand visibly tightened around the pommel of her sword. "Now that I am…"

Kairi stepped in-front of her, glaring daggers at Karin and putting up a finger in-front of her face. "Don't think like that! The moment you do, the worse it'll get later." She stepped back and smiled warmly at the knight. "We'll find your brother and you can both have a lengthy catch up session. I'm sure you both have plenty to say to each other."

Karin looked back at her, and couldn't help but smile at the girl's optimism. She had the feeling that Kairi was speaking from experience. "Thank you, Kairi." She looked ahead and smiled when the royal transport came into view. "Almost there, I could do with a good meal right about now."

Kairi was about to reply but the earth beneath them shook violently, startling the two women as they struggled to keep their balance. "What's going on? An earthquake?"

"We don't have earthquakes here, this is something else." Karin spoke up and stood still for a moment when the rumbling stopped. She turned around just in time to see a large fireball erupt from the town and explode above it, sending down smaller balls of flame into the town. In the wind, the cries of the affected rang out faintly. Karin glanced at it before walking up to the nearest guard with renewed purpose. "You are to take this to Roxy in the hanger and to tell her to prepare the evacuation Gummis," she placed the package in his arms. "If this is damaged or opened…" She indicated to the package.

"No Ma'am!" The guard awkwardly saluted with the package in hand and jumped in the transport, his friend joining him, who held the door open for Kairi.

Karin watched the two guards and nodded. "Get her out of here." She turned on her heel as her left hand darted to her sword that hung on her right hip and slid it out of the sheath, the dim sunlight gleaming upon the shiny metal. "The guard and I can handle this Kairi, get back to the castle." She spoke to the redhead and walked past her.

Kairi nodded to herself and turned to go into the transport but glanced over her shoulder behind her and felt a pang in her heart. She glanced down to her breastplate and rested a hand over her heart. She would feel guilty if she didn't help, more so now that she actually has the power and ability to help. "Go on without me." She spoke to the guard and ran up next to Kairi with a smile. "I'm going to help," her Keyblade appeared in her hand and she glanced at it. "I have the power to help now…if I didn't use it to help others, why would it choose me as its wielder?"

Karin smiled. "I've heard many legendary tales surrounding the Keyblades. I'd be honoured to have a wielder by my side." She started to break into a jog, one that Kairi was able to keep up with. "Come on, we got to find out what's going on and see what we can do."

**VVVV**

Sora let out a loud yawn as he lay on the grassy hill beside the castle. His mind had started to drift off to all his friends that were scattered about on the various worlds he had visited before. His cerulean eyes examined one cloud in particular that had a startling resembled to a certain spiky haired gentlemen he hadn't seen for ages when he heard footsteps approaching from behind him.

"I thought I'd find you here." Riku said as he took a seat next to the bruntette, "Always lying down on the job."

Sora scowled at Riku. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Riku laughed a little and patted Sora on the shoulder. "Relax bug, just jerking your leg a little." He glanced upwards at the cloud that Sora had been looking at and then back at the town that lay in the distance. "Thought of where we are going first then?"

Sora shook his head. "Admittedly I haven't thought much about it." He sat up and looked over at the silver-haired teen. "I've been trying to figure out what Xehanort is up to. We know he wants seven pure lights and thirteen of darkness, but how is he going to do that?"

"Who knows? For all we know he already has the pieces on the board, ready to play." Riku matched the brunette's gaze, "All we can do is try to stop him before more people fall to his insanity."

Sora nodded. "Yeah…" He glanced back at the clouds again.

"_Please…if you're going to defeat Master Xehanort, you can't worry about the minor things like innocent lifes."_

Sora gritted his teeth and scrunched his eyes up, picturing a mental wall around his heart. The whispers of Vanitas were easy to block out for now, but he still broke through somehow.

"_The only way to win – is to fight fire with fire, or in this case, darkness with darkness." _

"So, about our next destination," Riku quickly pulled Sora from his thoughts, concerned for his friends well-being. "I was thinking we could head to Traverse town and reseal the keyhole there. We might see Neku and the gang there as well. Might also be a good place in establishing a safe haven for those who can't get to Radiant Garden or here."

Sora nodded. He could see how that was a good place to start out; it wasn't too far out of the way either. "What about the guys at Radiant Garden? Surely they could lend a hand if we needed it."

Riku smiled. "I already thought about that one after I talked to Minnie. They're still trying to restore the world some more, but are getting close to it. Radiant Garden is suffering from a poverty crisis due to the sheer number of refugees. If we could get Traverse town safe, maybe we could ease the burden a little.

Sora smiled. "Then we'll head to Traverse town first then."

At that moment, the ground started to shake, followed bya a large fireball erupting from the town and into the sky. Black smoke started to float eerily into the sky, mixing in with the clouds, giving the entire town a bleak backdrop. "Let's go." Sora said to Riku. The pair nodded and started to make a bee-line for the town.

"_And so…it begins." _

**VVVV**

Hikari shivered underneath the bundle of blankets that Flynn had thrown at her. The cold seemed to bite at her more despite the warm material trying to fight off the chill; it felt even chillier than it did since she had used her power. It also didn't help that Flynn's safe house was fairly high up where the winds were powerful and gusty. Thin boards of wood covered many of the windows, but many had small gaps within them, letting in the breezy draft.

Flynn was muttering to himself near a desk full of containers and jugs, reading off a piece of paper with a flashlight. He threw something green into a bowl followed by some water and started to use a pestle and mortar. She couldn't identify the herbs, nor take a guess. Her mind felt shattered along with her psychical body. She had never wanted to use that ability again, but her hands felt tired. She knew what Flynn was going through herself and could never have guessed how he had managed to survive so long on his own. But looking around his HQ, she could guess how.

A machine whirred in the corner, doing whatever it was made to do. A large collection of odd shaped buckets and containers stood upon a small piece of wood, many of them full with rain water from the rare instances it rained. He had even cooked up a miniature greenhouse in one corner, a number of vegetables inside. Whoever Flynn was, he was very resourceful.

"Here. I'm not going to lie, it's going to taste gross, but it'll make you feel a little better." Flynn walked over to her with a cup of greenish goo and then walked over to the small whirring machine.

Hikari glanced at the contents of the cup with a sullen look. The entire thing looked more like poison than anything else. She took a breath of air and grimaced when the concoction touched her tongue. She closed her eyes and swallowed the entire thing down before slamming on the cup on the table, wiping the water from her eyes. She wanted to throw it back up but forced the urge back down. "Thank you." She managed to croak out and pulled the blankets tighter around herself.

He shook his head, "I should be thanking for you saving my skin." He pressed a button on the side, depositing a small number of bullets into the waiting tray. He closed it up and took a seat near the table Hikari was at and placed the two empty magazines on the table. "Neat little gadget a friend made awhile back." He jabbed at the machine with his thumb and started to place the bullets into the magazine. "You put in some scrap metal, some combustible material and the magic inside converts it all into bullets. It's more of a crystal that does it."

Hikari was looking at the machine and smiled weakly. "I see," her gaze shifted towards the soldier across from her. "I suppose you'll want to kno-"

"Nope," Flynn interrupted her. He glanced up and flashed a smile at her. "If you want to tell me, you can. I'm not the prying type if you don't want to answer, then don't say anything. Tell me in your own time." He placed the last magazine into the magazine and reloaded them into his pistols.

Hikari nodded, her smile warming up a little. _So he's that sort of person. _"Thank you. I'm more interested in hearing a plan as I doubt this place is going to keep us safe for an extended period of time."

He nodded in response and placed his pistols in their holsters. "You're correct on that one. We have stirred up the Hornet's nest. I had barely survived a scavenging run gone wrong, but now that we've killed such a large number of Heartless and you, doing whatever it was you did. It's only a matter of time before they track us down." He looked over to her. "So, we need to figure out a way out and fast.

Hikari shivered and wrapped herself tighter in the blankets, starting down at the floor with a downcast gaze. She would have to do it, no matter what she had promised to her friends and higher ups; for Flynn to find his sister and for a chance to find her own friends…

She would have to use the powers that she did not want.

**VVVV**

The black robed figure stopped on top of a thin pole that stuck out of one of the rooftops and survived its surroundings, honing in on one of the larger structures nearby.

"Commencing mission."

* * *

**Thanks to the usual person for helping me out with this once again. We've actually gotten quite close recently, long distance kinda sucks but it's pushing me to do something I really want to try and do.**

***insert usual recommendation and such here***


	7. Chapter 6: The Storm

****After much delay...it's finally here...FINALLY. Now go read it.  
but for those few who decided to review, thank you for not being overlly verbal about how much I suck and actually giving me constructive critisim.  
Have a cookie. (::)

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Storm**

Sora and Riku ran across the green fields with all their might, hopping over one of the smaller walls and into the castle gardens. A second explosion erupted nearby, showering the pair with debris from one of the higher towers of the castle.

Sora's Keyblade flashed into his hand and pointed skyward. "Barrier!" the brunette cried, a transparent shell appearing around the two. Any larger bits of debris were deterred by the magical barrier, protecting the teens from being flattened. It faded just as one last piece smashed into the protection and left them in the now destroyed courtyard.

"What's going on?" Sora asked, looking around. He hadn't imagined the castle coming under any sort of attack, not with the cornerstone of light under the protection of the royal family, and by extension, one of the strongest Keyblade wielders he knew.

Riku summoned his own blade, The Way to Dawn, and surveyed his surroundings. "I don't know. But, something doesn't feel right." He glanced over to the brunette. "Think about it, Maleficent tried assaulting the castle to get the datascape, but the Cornerstone had weakened her to the point that she had to retreat. Okay, apart from her, Xehanort wouldn't attack unless there was a very good reason." His eyes flashed behind Sora. "Look out!"

Sora glanced behind him and ducked as a Shadow shot out from the dust cloud, swiping his shoulder. It left a small gash in his clothing; a thin red line appeared a second later. The Shadow hit the ground and in an impressive display of agility, spun around and leaped straight back at Sora.

Sora narrowed his eyes, gripped his Keyblade in an almost samurai-like fashion, and swiped upwards just as the Shadow came into range, cutting the heartless clean in two, and reducing it to a puff of black smoke. "Heartless this close to the castle… Something is wrong with the Cornerstone, Riku."

Riku nodded. "I agree. The Guard can take care of the town. Let's investigate the stone and see what's up." He held his Keyblade tightly as he worked his way around the debris to get to the throne room.

Sora nodded and went to follow but stopped, glancing back over to the smoke cloud that was rapidly expanding over the town. "What about Kairi? I don't think she got back from supply shopping."

Riku stopped shoving a large rock to one side and looked over to Sora and then at the town. "We both trained her back at the tower. We both know that she is capable and she has to actually fight in a real environment. I believe in her, do you?"

Sora looked up at the silver-haired teen and then back at the town. He knew that she would be fine, he was simply worried about her, but his heart ached to know that she was actually okay. That wouldn't be alleviated until he saw her. What Riku said was true; he did believe in her ability. "Yeah, let's get going."

**VVVV**

Sora slipped under one shadow and spun around, sliced at a second across its stomach and brought his Keyblade to bear as a third went to take advantage of his distraction. The claws swiped at the metal, leaving nothing on the magical weapon as Sora shoved it off and quick-fired a basic fire spell, burning the Heartless into black smoke. A Soldier Heartless blindsided him and kicked him in the back of the head, causing him to stumble forward, and goofily jumped in the air, pushing his body horizontally as a pair of Red Nocturnes fired their spells at him. He felt the fire singe at his exposed skin and retaliated with a swift blizzard, slamming the Heartless in the face with the spell. "Why are there so many this close to the throne room?!" Sora cried as he spun around to deal with another soldier, slashing through it with ease.

Riku gracefully side-stepped one of the Soldiers and slashed at its back, building up the dark energy in his other hand, and flung it out. The dark fire slammed into a group of Shadows and then exploded violently, taking a group of them out. He ducked under a shadow and grabbed a second by its throat. He threw the shadow into the one that had missed him and used the length of his blade to stab them both. He glanced to the side as more Fire Nocturnes charged up their attacks and threw up his hand, his dark barrier forming rapidly and just in time as they fired, the missiles slamming into the protection. He countered with a Blizzard spell and dropped the barrier. "I don't know, why don't you ask them?" Riku asked as the pair continued deeper into the castle.

Sora chuckled. "Yeah ,sure. 'Hi there, can I ask you how you're so close to the castle despite the fact it's protected by an artefact of pure light?'" he responded sarcastically. Sora stopped at a corner and poked his head around; apart from all the wreckage and rubble, it was clear. "So, if this isn't Maleficent, who could this be?"

Riku shrugged. "It COULD be Maleficent; I'm not ruling that one out. She did collaborate with Xehanort after all. But from the villains we know right now? I can't think of anyone. Maleficent pretty much orchestrated all the minor villains' movement." He glanced behind him for a moment and then turned his attention back to the path ahead. "Even then, Xehanort was plotting with Maleficent. They are the only real logical choices." The pair stopped as the sounds of battle reached their ears. They looked at each other and nodded, turning off towards the throne room.

Inside the large room, a handful of the guard were battling the Heartless, forming a long line that separated the enemy from Queen Minnie and her personal guard. The Knights were clad in full, heavy armour and wielded large shields in on one arm (which covered the entirety of said limb) and long, thick lances in the other.

Sora looked over to Riku and hoisted his Keyblade on his shoulder. "This is where the fun begins."

Riku chuckled and charged into the fray. He spun as he ran, slicing at a number of Shadows as he moved. Without stopping, he jumped onto the head of a second Shadow and continue onwards, bringing his Keyblade around to block the occasional attack here and there. When he neared the end of the horde of darkness, he turned and flung a Dark Fire spell into the group and used the explosion to propel him above the assembly of lancers and next to the Queen. "Your Majesty," Riku bowed his head, his Keyblade held behind his back.

Sora wasn't too far behind. He slid under a Soldier and swiped at its legs before jumping up and running through the dark mass, swinging his Keyblade wildly, felling Heartless after Heartless. He dropped down to a slide again and flung a fireball behind him just as he slid underneath one of the massive shields the knights wielded and came to a stop next to Riku. "Sorry I'm late." He smirked.

Riku shook his head and helped the Brunette onto his feet. "Always showing off." He turned back to Minnie. "We got here as fast as we could."

Minnie let out a held breath and nodded stiffly. "I'm glad…Quickly; I must show you the cornerstone." She turned to her guard. "Hold them here! Not one Heartless is to past this line."

A chorus of "Yes, Your Majesty!" echoed around the large room, sounding louder over the struggle between Guard and Heartless. One Lancer blocked a strike with her shield and struck out with her lance, piercing the offending enemy and several of its comrades.

**VVVV**

The silence stretched out uncomfortably between Hikari and Flynn. Her shivers had subsided a little due to the warmth of the blanket he had provided, but it hadn't made her feel any less awkward.

A click made her jump out of her thoughts and found the source to be one of Flynn's pistols. She watched him in silence as he took the weapon apart and cleaned each individual piece with a small cloth, then setting it to one side in a specific spot and moving onto the next one. She secretly wished that he would stop and say something. Her fingers twisted and turned underneath the blanket, her mind driving her crazy as she went in circles. "Flynn…"

He glanced up to her while cleaning a small thin rod. He put it down on the table and smiled warmly. "Feeling any better?"

Hikari nodded and felt the heat rise in her cheeks. "Yeah, I'm fine, thank you." She paused for a moment, wondering on how she was going to word her idea to him. "I… think I know a way out of here."

"I'm all ears." Flynn continued to clean the parts of his weapon. He put the cloth to one side and started to assemble the weapon, piece by piece.

Hikari bit her lower lip and brought the blanket around her tightly. She had detested her own ability her whole life as it had only brought misery and pain along with it. "Before I do, I have to ask. How much do you know about the Organisation?"

Flynn shook his head as he slid the last component into place and looked down the sights. Satisfied, he loaded one of the magazines into the weapon and flicked on the safety and put it onto the table. . I hadn't cared enough to look into it when I woke up here and I'll be honest, I still don't. It's too dangerous to be going out on recon. But to answer your question, I've only encountered the one guy in the black robe."

Hikari nodded. "Looks like I've got some explaining to do when we have…better circumstances. Regarding getting out of here, I have a certain… ability that we can use. I'd rather not go into the explanation right now, but in short, it will let us go where we want. I could never use it by myself though, as it would alert every Heartless within a hundred miles to where I was." She glanced around the small space. "If we hole up in here though, get some defences…and with you here, we might get a shot at it."

Flynn nodded his approval. "Sounds good to me. The real question is, are you up for it?"

Hikari visibly jumped back a little and glanced to the side, her cheeks turning red again. "W-What do you me-"

Flynn looked at her full on, his green eyes seemingly hardening in colour. "Whatever you did earlier, it's obviously still taking its toll on you. Now, if this ability is as good as it sounds, chances are it comes at a hefty price."

Hikari looked at the soldier in front of her. Rarely had people shown her this level of concern before. Only a small group of friends that she had travelled with years ago had. "It does take a lot of energy to use. But it's either that, or we wait for a Gummi ship to find us and the chances of that are remote at best."

Flynn nodded and stood up, stretching out a little. "Fair enough. I'm guessing we'll only have one shot at this." He surveyed the small room and had already identified a number of points that needed to be reinforced. "Let's get this place ready." He smirked, picked up his pistol and placed it in its holster.

**VVVV**

"Everyone to the evacuation shuttles!" Karin shouted as loud as her lungs would let her. She side-stepped a Soldier Heartless and countered with a swift cut with her left blade, piercing its stomach with it and then spun her other blade around to cut its head clean off. "Damned things," she muttered and pointed at a squad of Guards nearby. "You lot make sure that everyone within the Industrial Zone is evacuated."

"Yes ma'am!" The squad saluted and ran off, avoiding the Heartless as much as they could and down into an alleyway.

Kairi was nearby the evacuation zone, holding off a number of Heartless on her own. Her forehead was flowing with sweat as she pointed her Keyblade at a number of flying Heartless and released a flurry of firebolts. She rolled under a slash from a Shadow and countered as she rose with an uppercut. She fell back into her combat stance and gazed at her surroundings.

The town was a complete wreck. Rubble littered the once colourful and energetic town. A hand often stuck out from destroyed buildings, maybe a foot or head of those who didn't make it out in time. Flames danced around on the various buildings around them. The once green trees and grass were reduced to nothing but a black crisp, and everywhere she looked were Heartless, always more Heartless that were butchering people just to get to their hearts. The screams of the damned in the background were the worst thing she could hear; she wished she could turn off her ears and forget about the noise.

"Kairi!" Karin ran up to the redhead and looked about, surprise across her face." For someone who is fresh from training, you're not half bad."

Kairi felt the heat rise in her cheeks (although any colour was covered by dirt) and smiled a little. "T-Thank you, Karin, but I'm not nearly as good as you or the Guard."

Karin chuckled and indicated towards the pathway and the two quickly ran along it, both relaxed but ready for an ambush at any time. "Nonsense, I'm kinda jealous about your magical talent. You just need to work on your combat skills… Down!" Karin shouted and dragged the redhead to the floor just as a large ball of fire shot past their heads. "You alright?"

Kairi nodded and stood up with Karin's help and gazed skyward for the source of the attack finding it in the form of a squad of Red Nocturnes. Recalling her special training sessions with Yen Sid, she carefully aimed her blade towards the middle of the group and concentrated all of her magical power into it. "Blizzara!" Her blade shuddered as long spikes of ice shot out from the tip and slammed into the Red Nocturnes with inhuman accuracy. Kairi slumped over for a moment to catch her breath. Yen Sid had warned her about using the higher tiers of magic, that she wasn't fully ready for the demanding amounts of stamina and magic that they required, but she could manage one or two.

"Let's keep moving." Karin placed a hand on her back and gently ushered her forward, at the same time casting a worried glance behind her, certain that something was following them.

It had only taken the two woman a few minutes to reach the next Evacuation Point for the castle and those that didn't get to their designated area. Lines of citizens were being organised to go into various shuttles with woman, children, and the elderly getting priority over the others. Despite the chaotic scene, everyone was surprisingly calm, Kairi noted. Sure, she could make out the look of fear in their eyes and the nervous pacing some of them did while waiting, but it was much calmer than she had ever seen.

Karin walked up to the guard and saluted with one of her hands, before sheathing her swords. "Lieutenant Adams, report."

"We're almost ready; everyone is getting on-board without much trouble. We're just waiting for her majesty to arrive," the guard spoke, handing Karin a small device. "Miss Santangelo asked me to give you this."

Karin took the small device and looked it over before nodding her thanks. She pulled back her hair around her ear and placed it in, flicking the small switch. A loud beep erupted in her ear but quickly subsided. "Roxy? You finally got these working?"

"_Karin! Thank heavens you're okay. I was worried that something had happened." _

Karin chuckled and looked over to the evacuation shuttles. "Please, remember who you're talking to. How's the Gummi coming along?"

"_I'm happy with the preflight checks and we've loaded up enough fuel to get us close to one of the nearby worlds. The shield generator is giving me some trouble though."_

"Alright, any chance you could get the Gummi up without the shield?" Karin held up a finger to Lieutenant Adams, indicating for him to wait.

"_In theory sure, but we'd be shot out of the sky if they have any ships with them. I got a solution but it's going to take me ten minutes to test it." _

"No pressure, but make it five. The Queen is going to need a ride out of here." Karin walked over to the lead evacuation shuttle and tapped on the cockpit glass.

Roxy chuckled on the other end of the line. _"Just like old times. I'll get it done, don't worry. Your stuff is also loaded on, so get your skinny ass back here. I'm not going to tell Flynn you bit the dust."_

"Yeah, yeah, see you in five," Karin chuckled and flicked the device off. The window rolled down to reveal a pilot doing her preflight checks. "As soon as your ready I want these birds gone, understood?"

"Yes ma'am. What's the destination?" the pilot replied.

"Radiant Garden. Make sure you send a message beforehand if you can to alert them about the incoming refugees." Karin instructed and walked back to Adams. "I've arranged for some alternate transport for the royal family. Keep these civilians safe." She patted him on the shoulder and smiled.

"Yes ma'am. Drinks are on me when you get back." Adam saluted and ran off, shouting orders to his various comrades.

Karin chuckled and shook her head, "That Adams, always trying to get with me." She muttered to herself. She turned to Kairi and smiled. "Everything alright?

Kairi snapped out of her thoughts. She was so mesmerised by how Karin had taken command, but at the same time, stayed calmed and cheerful. She was everything that Yen Sid, Sora, and Riku expected her to do in the coming war. "Y-Yes. I…can just feel the darkness everywhere."

Karin nodded. "Yeah. Let's head back to the castle. Let's hope that Roxy has made the Gummi big enough," she joked half-heartedly and broke into a sprint, eyeing the castle in the distance. _I have a bad feeling about this. _

**VVVV**

Minnie, Sora and Riku quickly descended the staircase that led towards the large room that held the Cornerstone. The sounds of the battle behind them echoed faintly but soon drowned out under a high pitched whirring noise. Squelching could be heard under the whirring; something alive and organic was writhing near them.

"This is…," Sora muttered as he was the first to enter the Hall of the Cornerstone. His eyes darted to the side as he examined the thick, black thorns that were seemingly appearing out of thin air and wrapping around the edge of the room. Smaller vines enveloped the large green artefact that stood atop of a pedestal. The lights inside the large orb were swirling intensely and out of control. He turned around to Minnie. "When did this start happening?"

"Shortly before the attack. I'm just as surprised as you are, Sora." Minnie spoke calmly.

Riku walked up to one of the vines and tapped it with the edge of his blade. "Someone mind filling me in here?"

Sora walked up behind to Riku and indicated towards the vines. "Maleficent. Several Years ago when I was looking for you during the time of the Organisation, Maleficent attempted to take over the castle, but because of the Cornerstone. It acted like a countermeasure to her darkness. If it wasn't for Merlin, it might have worked." He put up a hand to his chin in thought as he walked over to the Cornerstone. "Would she really try the same thing twice?"

Minnie walked up to Riku. "She tried using a door to the past to take the Cornerstone before the castle was built. Affecting the present and making the Cornerstone disappear. Of course, Sora was on hand to stop her plot." Her gloved hand waved over to Sora in appreciation.

"Is Merlin about?" Sora asked loudly, looking at the swirling energies inside the Cornerstone. "Maybe he could figure out what is going on with it."

"_Jeez, do you really need it spelled out, Doofus?" _

Sora jumped a little but growled and erected the wall around his heart again. A sharp pain caught him in the chest, causing him to double over and clutch at the area around his heart.

"_Please, as if a weak defence could keep me out, this close to a source of pure darkness." _

"Pure…darkness?" Sora muttered as the pain increased. He glanced up to the Cornerstone and fell forward, placing a hand on top of the glass surface to steady himself. His hand exploded in pain the second it made contact, a dark purple aura surrounding it.

"Sora!" Riku exclaimed and ran forward to help his friend, but a large wall suddenly formed between him and the brunette. "This is…" he muttered, recognising the pattern the wall formed. He glanced behind him and stepped in front of Minnie, taking up his combat stance. "Your Majesty, get behind me."

Minnie didn't need telling twice as she ran behind the Keyblade Master and as close to Sora as she could manage. She turned her attention to the Cornerstone. The dark aura emitting from Sora's hand was flowing into the centre of the orb. "Sora! Whatever it is you must fight it!"

"I'm afraid, your Majesty, that the boy is lending me a helping hand."

**VVVV**

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Hikari asked Flynn as she watched him go through all the defences that he had spent the last few hours preparing. Her shivers had subsided to minor shakes and she felt well enough to walk around, but she was still unsure if she could pull off their crazy idea.

"That depends." Flynn looked over to her briefly and flashed a smile before turning his attention back to a loose board. "If you want us to survive, then yes, it's going to work. If not, then no it won't." He placed a finger on the side of his head and tapped it. "It's all about the mentality." He stepped back and admired his handiwork.

A number of boards had been placed haphazardly around the windows that the pair believed would be a threat. Small beams of moonlight were filtered through some of the cracks, making the light dance occasionally as the wind bounced and slammed the window frame open and closed; to one side, a crude turret had been made using some spare supplies Flynn had found lying around. It would provide a small amount of cover for the two when they needed it in a pinch. The room had been cleared out as well, all the furniture placed awkwardly to one side. Supplies that were deemed necessary were packed near the corner where Hikari would do her thing while anything else went to boarding up the trapdoor entrance.

Flynn placed a small combat knife into a sheath fastened to his boot before taking out his pistols and checking them over. He was fully armed and ready, but the bullets were very limited. He had to hope that nothing crazy happened before he ran out of bullets. "Ready?"

Hikari nodded and sat down crossed-legged near the corner and took a few steady breaths. She then clasped her hands together, her left index and forefinger extended skywards and the other fingers wrapped around her right hand. _"I can do this…I just have to believe." _

The air was thick with tension as Hikari concentrated on her technique. Flynn rigidly stood rooted to the spot; his eyes shuffled left and right, back and forth as he scanned each boarded up entrance. Only silence responded to the soldier's vigil. _Maybe…nothing can get us up here. _Flynn wanted to relax a little, but a loud creak put him on full alert, and he drew both his pistols towards the boarded up entrance of a stained glass window.

The creaking intensified, followed by a loud_ CRACK_ as something clad in all black clothing shot through the boards. The turret responded in earnest, beeping loudly and turning to bear at the intruder and started to fire its load. Flynn quickly followed suit, opening fire with one of his pistols, his other arm lax to his side.

The intruder responded to the incoming danger and waved a silver weapon with a golden handle, its teeth shaped like a key. He swung it upwards and the bullets hit a hexagon shell of magic, flashing each time a bullet impacted the magical barrier. Soon the turret started to click repeatedly, indicating it had no more bullets. Flynn's pistol did the same.

Hikari stopped for a moment and felt the breath still in her lungs. She recognised the weapon; the design was familiar as well. But it didn't make sense. Her mind vaguely remembered the person who wielded the weapon and that he was a good person with a heart of light. She shook her head and concentrated on her task. Flynn was relying on her to do her part; she had to trust in him.

The hooded figured glanced around once the hail of bullets stopped and seemed to hone in on Hikari. "Princess Zero located. Commencing capture."

"Like hell you are!" Flynn shouted and ran up to the figure, grappling him around the chest and pushing him back. Using all of his upper body strength he hoisted the figure off the ground and slammed him back to the floor, quickly raising a fist for a follow up.

The figure slammed the pommel of his weapon into the side of Flynn's chest, causing him to roll off to the side, giving the figure some breathing room as a yellow aura swirled around the edge of his weapon.

Flynn growled and rolled to the side just as a shot of lightning grazed his ear, static shot down his ear, causing him to jump a little. _This guy is fast. _He brought his spare pistol to bare and fired a series of quick, blind shots in his direction. _I have to keep the pressure on, if this guy gets more than a second to gain ground, Hikari is going to be in danger. _He quickly got to his feet and ran towards the figure, emptying the rest of the clip.

The intruder brought up the barrier once more, the bullets slamming into the magical shell and bouncing harmlessly off. He side stepped the second volley and stepped towards Flynn, bringing his Keyblade around to the side.

Flynn growled and bent backwards as he ran, his feet sliding out from under him. The blade narrowly avoided the tip of his nose, feeling the air whoosh by from the powerful swing. _Powerful as well. This guy is no pushover._ He rolled to the side once more to avoid a follow up and then bent down and spun, sticking his leg out for a quick sweep kick.

The assailant jumped over the leg and quickly brought his Keyblade down, catching Flynn with his guard down as the blade sunk into his flesh and into his shoulder. He started to apply more pressure when the figure hit the ground, using both hands for added power.

Flynn growled and dropped his empty pistol and then quickly grabbed the shaft of the weapon to prevent it from going into his torso any further. The two were at a partial stalemate, but every so often, the weapon would sink deeper into his flesh; each time a stab of pain shot through Flynn's body. "Anytime now Hikari!" Flynn shouted and with a fresh amount of effort, shoved the blade from his shoulder and followed it with a swift kick to the figure's torso.

The assailant jumped back and held the Keyblade into a two handed stance, seemingly eyeing up Flynn.

Flynn slowly stood up and examined his shoulder wound. It was deep, that much he could tell and it was bleeding profusely. The weapon his opponent wielded didn't look sharp but it cut through his shoulder like a hot knife through butter. He hefted the wounded arm and let out a hiss as a stab of pain shot through it. He could move it, but doing so would be painful. He bent down and picked up the combat knife and flipped it into a backhand stance. "Bring it."

The figure didn't move, but suddenly vanished into thin air and reappeared a split second later, blade raised and ready to strike.

"Shi-" Flynn responded quickly but in a panic and held up his knife to counter the blow. Steel met steel but the figure's strength was unparalleled. The force of the blow sent Flynn reeling into the wall, awkwardly avoiding any of the sharp points of the furniture they had stacked up. His head was spinning as he pulled himself from the stack and readied his knife one more. He was no match for this guy. But this wasn't about winning or losing, this was a test of endurance for Hikari to do her thing.

The figure continued its speedy assault, once more appearing in a split second with its blade raised for another blow.

Flynn was about to block it when he noted something. The figure was always aiming for his wounded shoulder. It would reappear with its blade already raised for the strike.

He smiled. He could use this to his advantage if he was careful.

He moved his body to the side just underneath the swing, feeling the air once more roar past him and followed up with his knife. The momentum of the swing was enough for the blade to find its target, plunging into the attacker. Flynn stabbed forward again and embedded the dagger as deep as he could manage into the figure.

The figure fell with the swing, rolling to the floor as black smoke started to form around its wounds. He threw the Keyblade forward, hurling a fireball in Flynn's direction.

Flynn was about to avoid the magic, but realised that Hikari was directly behind him. _If I move then this whole battle is for naught. _He flipped the knife in his hand so he held the blade and threw it at the fireball. The knife impacted the ball just enough so that it change course, slamming into the floor in-front of his feet. He glanced up and felt panic rise in the back of his mind as he saw a twirling blade heading straight for him. He prepared for the oncoming blow and hissed as the blade stuck into the side of his torso.

The figure suddenly appeared in front of him, clutching the grip of the weapon and looking at him with dark yellow eyes. The wounds Flynn had inflicted were closed up; the only one that hadn't closed completely was the final strike where the blade still rested. "Hikari…" Flynn growled, fear creeping into his voice.

"I'm…almost done…" she huffed. Sweat formed along the edge of her brow, her eyes clasped tightly shut. Her whole body shook from the effort of getting the portal up.

Flynn shivered. _Yeah, and so am I. _With a forceful grunt he took the blade out and went for a fast jab. His hand was blocked by the figure's forearm. He pulled his hand back and went for an uppercut, but feinted and grabbed the blade with his other hand, tugging it away from the figure.

The figure responded in earnest with a quick kick to the side of Flynn's leg, his leg buckling under the attack and loosened his grip on the weapon. The figure then quickly shot his fist forward into Flynn's torso, causing him to double up, and then the figure kneed him in the face.

Flynn stumbled backwards, but held up his fists, ready to continue the fight as the figure charged again. Once more he went for a quick jab and once more, it was blocked by the figure's forearm. He quickly went for another uppercut but opened up his palm and grabbed the weapon again and flung it backwards, completely out of the figure's grasp. _Thanks for teaching me that one Karin._ He next put all his weight into his weakened arm and pulled it back, then threw it forward; decking the figure in the face. He bit back the pain that shot up his arm, tingling a little

The figure slid back a few feet, seemingly unaffected by the punch. He simply held out a gloved hand and opened up his hand.

The Keyblade suddenly tore itself from Flynn's grasp and reappeared into its masters' grip. "Mission parameters altered. Kill the hindrance."

"Oh,NOW, you're going to try and kill me," Flynn muttered sarcastically and held up his fists. He wasn't going to be able to continue to this fight. His heart skipped a beat when something sharp and metallic scratched his cheek. His vision now taken up by the figure's darkened face. _This guy was holding back?! _He growled and jumped backwards to get out of range.

The figure, however, reached out and grabbed his arm, effortlessly throwing Flynn into the wall next to where the figure had entered and stabbed forward with the Keyblade, grazing Flynn's hip, and quickly stabbed again, cutting into his leg.

"Sunuva-" Flynn started to mutter, but exclaimed loudly when a hand closed around his throat and started to crush it. In the corner of his vision, he could see the blade lodged into the figure and reached out for it. He felt his fingers brush against the leather handle, but he couldn't grip it. In a desperate attempt to get free, he struck out with his hand, pushing the blade deeper into the figure.

The figure stumbled backwards, grasping at the blade, and pulled it free; black smoke engulfed him once more, but this time the figure remained still.

Flynn was on the floor, gasping in fresh air when his throat would let him. "Hikari!"

"I-I'm done!" she shouted back, and flung her hand to the empty corner of the room near the supplies. A white light shined brightly, extending into a large, oval gateway. She shakily stood up and ran to Flynn, stumbling as she approched him. She reached into her pocket and flung a small object at the figure. The object exploded and showered the room with a heavy cloud of smoke. She wrapped an arm around Flynn and gently guided him towards the gateway and shoved him inside. She then quickly grabbed the bags one after the other and flung them in before jumping into the gateway herself just as it closed behind her.

"Aero." the figure muttered, and the smoke was blown away outside of the room, through the opening it had made. It quickly surveyed the surroundings before dismissing the Keyblade. "Target escaped, returning to Headquarters with new data."

* * *

Funningly enough I was stuck on this for ages because there was so much action going on and how I was going to go about doing it all.  
Things will, sorta settle down in the next chapter! Thanks for taking the time to read this!


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